Sanctuary
by momothelemur
Summary: Two years after the fateful invasion, Katara learns that she must marry the Fire Nation Prince if any sort of peace is to return to the world. She soon learns that living with Zuko isn't easy, particularly with a powerful new threat looming... Zutara
1. Frozen

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_I can'__t feel my senses, I just feel the cold. All colors seem to fade away...__I can'__t reach my soul._

- Frozen _by_ Within Temptation

* * *

_Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an Airbender named Aang. Together with Aang we travelled the world, helping him master the elements and fulfil his destiny to defeat the Fire Lord. Finally, the epic battle arrived and, together with our allies, we fought the Fire Nation. But it wasn__t enough. Soon into the battle, the Fire Lord and his children delivered a devastating strike, which, alongside destroying part of the palace, killed Aang and most of our allies. The survivors barely escaped. Now, two years on, the Fire Lord is deteriorating in health and the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom are slowly planning another invasion. But I've lost hope. Without the Avatar, we cannot win this war._

* * *

Katara lay on her bed, not really taking in the icy ceiling above her or the biting cold that encased the room. In a couple of months, it would be the second anniversary of Aang's death. It was odd, looking back, to see how much had changed since their spectacular failure at the Fire Nation. The battle itself and the weeks that followed were a blur; all Katara remembered was the Fire Nation Royal Family's lightning combining and the heat and blinding light it emitted when it exploded outwards. Everyone in the vicinity had been hurled backwards into the marble pillars and hard stone walls. Fire Lord Ozai, Azula and Zuko had recovered much quicker than their enemies and continued the ruthless attack. The rest, Katara had forced herself to block out. The pain of smashing into solid marble was nothing compared to the agony of realizing that the majority of people she had come into battle with she would have to leave behind. She had managed to cling onto Aang's body though, and given it the decent burial that he more than deserved.

The frozen walls of her bedroom began to crack and splinter, and Katara quickly shut her eyes in concentration and focused on controlling her breathing. Her Waterbending, powerfully linked to her emotions, had never quite been the same after the failed invasion. Katara wouldn't allow anyone to come near her in the few days after fleeing the Fire Nation; her unpredictable and unmanageable Waterbending threatened to harm anyone who dared to be in the same room as her. Toph and Sokka, who had both miraculously survived the invasion, edged their way around her for months afterwards, and had only just begun to act normally around her again. Toph regularly visited on Appa, yet had chosen to go back to her parents and try to build bridges with them. Sokka remained in the South Pole, his room next to Katara's.

Going back to the newly built-up South Pole had been difficult for both the siblings; everything reminded them of what they had lost. Their old home had been improved, yet Katara couldn't help yearning for the simplicity of the old South Pole. As well as new houses and buildings, including a war hut, there was a statue of remembrance for all the lives lost to the Fire Nation. Katara had ensured that Aang took his rightful place as the top name, followed by Princess Yue and Bato, who had later died from injuries sustained in battle. Sokka and Katara's mother was also high on the list, as was Jet and his freedom fighters, and Haru. Rather than look upon this statue with pride, Katara always rushed past it with her eyes averted, unwilling to be reminded of the tortuous sorrow the Fire Nation had caused. Every time Sokka or Gran Gran tentatively tried to bring the subject up, Katara would either snap at them or leave the room angrily. Townspeople would mutter about denial, but Katara ignored them. Every night, she would find herself back in her room, staring at the ceiling and wishing for the old times.

"Lady Katara?"

Katara rolled her eyes and groaned at the voice just outside of her bedroom door. Despite her constant refusals, the world now knew her as 'Lady Katara, Master Waterbender'. She had insisted that everyone in the South Pole call her Katara, but they now viewed her with annoying respect, as though she had done something amazing.

"It's Katara," she muttered in correction, before calling louder, "Yes?"

"Your father and the higher men of the tribe wish to speak with you," came the nervous voice. "Your grandmother and Sir Sokka are there also."

_Sir Sokka_Katara silently snorted. The title still amused her slightly. Then the messenger's words sank in and she frowned.

"This had better not be another intervention," she grumbled, heaving herself up and stumbling slightly towards the door. It was still hard to walk properly in all the layers that living in the South Pole demanded. It was as though the year she had spent travelling the world had made her forget the need for warm necessities. However, the fur collar made her neck nice and snug and she never went to bed cold, so she supposed it was worth it. Opening and closing the heavy ice door, Katara sealed it shut with an icy lock. No one would dare break into her room, but it was better to be cautious. Everything Katara did had an edge of caution to it now.

The messenger - Katara didn't remember his name - bowed to her as she emerged, something else that made her frown. She didn't even bother bowing back anymore, just waved her hand carelessly and set off along the small corridor, leaving the messenger scurrying in her wake. Ducking her head to avoid the low roof, Katara stepped out into the night. The fresh, cold air made her wince as it harshly slapped her face, making her cheeks sting and tears to spring to her dull cerulean eyes. As she continued walking in the darkness, the tears subsided on their own. After the initial few days after the invasion, Katara had become too numb to cry…or feel much at all, come to that.

Ploughing through the snow, Katara allowed her feet to carry her down the familiar pathway to the large structure usually used for town meetings or celebratory events. There was a faint, warm orange glow coming from one of the windows as Katara got nearer, and the thought of heat was welcoming. But, inevitably, the thought of heat led to thoughts of fire, which caused her to hesitate for longer than was necessary in the cold snow. Behind her, the messenger breathlessly caught up and started chattering about something irrelevant, his warm breath misting in front of him. Ignoring him, Katara took the few extra steps to the door before pulling it open, allowing the messenger to hurry in after her, and then shutting it, banishing the cold night behind her.

Sokka, Gran Gran and Hakoda all looked up as the door snapped shut, their perplexed faces dissolving into uneasy smiles as they saw Katara. She and Gran Gran were the only women there; both Water Tribe poles were still having trouble getting over their sexism. Everyone in the room stood awkwardly near a small spluttering fire. Every time a wall looked in danger of melting, a Waterbender would effortlessly restore the ice and snow to perfection, before gnawing on his lip anxiously. Katara was immediately put on alert by the welcome she had been given, and walked warily over to her family.

"A little late for a chat, isn't it?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

"We have…received some news. From the Fire Nation," Hakoda explained hesitantly to his daughter. As expected, Katara went rigid at the mention of the Fire Nation and her face became impassive to hide any emotion that might otherwise have shown through. She could feel the nervous eyes of everyone in the room lingering on her, but she only watched her father. If anyone had been paying attention, they might have seen the small cracks beginning to form in the icy walls of the room.

"I don't wish to know anything about the Fire Nation," Katara informed Hakoda curtly.

"You'll want to know this news!" Sokka cut in. His eager grin grew fainter as he shrugged. "At least, the first part."

Katara's eyes flickered to him, then back to her father. She couldn't help the questioning look she now gave him.

"Fire Lord Ozai is dead," Hakoda said carefully. "He is succeeded by his brother, Iroh. For now."

Katara's heart leapt for the first time in months, her eyes widened and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. A million thoughts ran through her mind, so she chose one at random and exclaimed it.

"That's great! I don't think Iroh's as willing to carry on this war!" Katara paused thoughtfully, before muttering to herself excitedly, "And even if he doesn't back down, it'll be a lot easier to take down him than Ozai, who-"

"Katara," Gran Gran interrupted her granddaughter gently. Katara's eyes sparkled with hope as she turned to her grandmother. "There's something else."

Glancing around the room, Katara's smile slowly faded as she took in all the pitying looks she was getting. Even Sokka wouldn't meet her gaze. Feeling her stomach sinking horribly, Katara slowly turned back to her father and grandmother with dread.

"Iroh has only taken the throne for a short time. He is preparing his nephew, Prince-"

"I know who his nephew is," Katara cut in hotly. The cracks in the wall increased. A few heads turned, but mostly it went ignored.

"Of course," Hakoda sighed sadly. "Iroh explained in his letters that all was not as it seemed with his nephew at the time of the invasion. There were underlying issues that we were unaware of. Are still unaware of." Hakoda cleared his throat uneasily as Katara scowled. "Yes, so Iroh is preparing his nephew to take over the Fire Nation. But there's a problem. The Council in the Fire Nation are being more careful this time; they want to ensure that the future Fire Lord is secure in all aspects of his life."

"Iroh has offered the Water Tribes a peace offering. If we form an alliance with the Fire Nation, then the Earth Kingdom will not dare attack either of us. The world would finally be at peace," Gran Gran said, taking over from her son. Her voice implored Katara to listen, which, reluctantly, she did.

"But Iroh says that the alliance we make has to be unbreakable," Sokka continued disgustedly. Katara wished that her family would get to the point, and stop swapping narrators. "We have to show our loyalty to the agreement by doing something else that is unbreakable."

"One of the conditions to Zuko" - the fractures in the wall splintered violently as Katara seethed at the name- "taking the throne is that he has to be married first."

There was a lengthy pause, and everyone seemed to hold their breath collectively. Katara frowned in confusion.

"So…?" she prompted, clearly not understanding what her father was trying to say and wondering why he would call her here to tell her about the man she hated and his impending nuptials.

_Good luck to whoever ends up with him, _she thought viciously, before turning back to her father who was talking again.

"Iroh thought that if both the children of the leaders of the Fire Nation and Water Tribes were married, then it would strengthen the bond and assure that the alliance is permanent," Hakoda continued slowly, wincing as he said the word 'married'. "We all agreed." He waited for his daughter to react, but she continued frowning.

"But why…" she trailed off as horrifying comprehension dawned. Her eyes grew wide. The walls surrounding them were in serious danger of rupturing as Katara began to shake violently.

"Just think about it, Katara," Gran Gran pleaded. "Because of your noble sacrifice, the world will never have to be at war again. Generations will live in harmony together, as they're supposed to."

Hakoda moved forward swiftly to place a comforting hand on his daughter shoulder, but she shrugged it off angrily.

"You don't seriously expect me to agree to this, do you?" she spat, rounding on her father. "We're talking about the people who-"

"Are offering us a chance to save lives," Sokka interrupted. "Look, I hate this as much as you do, sis, maybe more-"

"Oh I seriously doubt that," Katara hissed dangerously.

"-but we don't have a choice," Sokka continued. "Iroh has promised to invade the Water Tribes unless we agree to his terms."

"We always have a choice! I choose to stay here and fight when he attacks!" Katara shouted, feeling desperately outnumbered as more and more people argued against her. The crush of voices trying to persuade her to agree was overbearing as each person tried to prove their point. Katara could feel the cracks in the walls fracturing dangerously as she tried to make sense of what was happening and failed. The sea of voices and sounds was drowning Katara, and she struggled to keep her head up. Then one voice pushed her under.

"I'm afraid, in this instance, you don't have a choice. I've already sent word back to Iroh agreeing with his terms. The Fire Nation ship arrives tomorrow, and in a few weeks you'll serve opposite Zuko as the Fire Lady."

The four icy walls of the war hut shattered outwards simultaneously as Katara lost control.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of ****Sanctuary****. I know this isn****t a completely original idea, but I really want to make this story unique. As the more observant of you have probably figured out, everyone in this story is two years older (but unfortunately not much wiser).**

**Please review to let me know what you think of this chapter (:**

**- Momo**


	2. One Step Closer

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

Come to think of it, I don't really own a lot do I?

* * *

_All these words, they make no sense. I__ve found bliss in ignorance. Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge, and I__m about to break. _

­- One Step Closer by Linkin Park

* * *

_Fire Lord Iroh,_

_At the time of writing, Katara has boarded the Fire Nation ship you sent. As requested, she is without her family, yet I have sent some of our warriors along with her. Please do not take this as an act of violence or provocation; I__m afraid that the war has left its mark on all of us, and I cannot bring myself to leave Katara alone in a foreign land__particularly one she is not fond of. If all goes on course, then by the time you__re reading this letter, Katara should arrive in the Fire Nation tomorrow. It saddens me that ever since the Day of Black Sun invasion, my daughter has been emotionally fragile. We have consoled her as best we could, and her Waterbending is now more or less under control. I do have one request, however. Please do not show Katara the throne room until she is ready. The pain she feels at the Avatar__s death is still raw for her, and I don__t think she would be able to handle seeing the site of his death. I ask that you treat my daughter with the kindness and respect that she deserves,_

_Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe._

Iroh read the letter again and nodded thoughtfully. He had not yet told Zuko to whom he would be getting married, which probably wasn't the best decision. Still, if Miss Katara would arrive the next day, then that gave Zuko little time to kick up a fuss about it. Iroh would just have to drill it into his nephew that this marriage was for the best. That didn't stop the new Fire Lord from being worried about it though.

There came a tiny knock on the door, so light that Iroh barely heard it. He nodded wearily to the guards at the throne room door and they opened it to reveal a small man, practically dancing he was so nervous.

"Your Highness, Prince Zuko is here," the man said in a squeaky voice, glancing around the throne room quickly. "Shall I see him in?"

"Yes, thank you," Iroh nodded. After the death of his brother, Iroh had changed the place of the throne, finding it pretentious when concealed behind a huge wall of flames. Instead, the flames had been doused and the elegant throne now stood on a slightly raised platform from the floor. The fancy pillars on either side of the room still stood every few feet, but Iroh didn't mind this. It added to the room's décor, something which severely needed a new look. After the Day of Black Sun invasion, the throne room had largely been destroyed by the blasts delivered. Ozai, who of course had still been Fire Lord at the time, had rebuilt the room exactly as it was before, much to the annoyance of Iroh, who had returned to the palace as soon as he heard his brother had died.

Iroh intended to show Zuko how the country should be run - with a firm but fair hand. None of the tyranny that the Fire Nation had been exposed to by its last few rulers.

A second passed, and Prince Zuko came striding in. The guards at the door bowed to both the Prince and the Fire Lord, before walking out and shutting the large doors softly. Zuko had his black hair up into a topknot and was wearing his more formal clothes. Two years had done little to change the Prince - both in appearance and attitude. As Zuko bowed lowly and respectfully to him, Iroh took a deep breath of composure before smiling down at his newly risen nephew, trying to think of how to phrase his next few sentences.

Noticing his uncle's silence, Zuko spoke up, gesturing down at himself. "I came as soon as I could. You didn't say what the occasion was, so I wore this just in case."

"Thank you, Zuko, but there was no need. I know how much you hate dressing formally. I've never known a young man so fussy about his hair…for your next birthday I think I will buy you some hair clips." Iroh's attempt at a joke to decrease his nervousness fell flat. Zuko raised his eyebrow and did not smile.

_It__s nice to know he still regards me the same, _Iroh thought sardonically.

"Prince Zuko, there's something you must know."

"You mean you didn't bring me here to insult my hair?" Zuko asked, on alert due to his uncle's uneasiness.

"I didn't insult your hair," Iroh objected. "But yes, there is something else." He looked away for a moment, before looking his nephew squarely in the eyes. "I will not be Fire Lord for much longer-"

Zuko sceptically interrupted before Iroh could even begin. "Are you giving me the death speech? Because it isn't needed."

Iroh knew only too well how little Zuko needed any sort of speech on death. He had lost too many people in his eighteen years of life already.

"No," Iroh continued. It was odd, but he got less nervous talking to hundreds of people than he did giving his nephew news. "I mean because I will be stepping down. You will be my replacement."

Again, Zuko cut across. "I know that. But the Council said that there are conditions in order for me to become Fire Lord."

_If he carries on at this rate, he__ll figure it out for himself, _Iroh thought. He briefly considered telling Zuko to go, and then sending him a letter detailing whom he would be marrying. Yes, it was cowardly, but it would certainly be easier.

"Most of these conditions will only come with time, Prince Zuko, the Council acknowledges it. But there is one term that they insist upon-"

"Marriage," Zuko spat, wrinkling his nose to show his thoughts on the idea.

"Do you want to tell the story?" Iroh asked, losing patience for a moment. "If not, then please stop interrupting."

"Sorry," Zuko said sheepishly. Iroh nodded, a small smile on his lips.

"Yes, the term they insist upon is marriage. As you know, I have tried to persuade the Council otherwise, but they are very stuck in their ways. They've barely allowed me to change some of our more brutal traditions as it is. But - after you stormed out of the Council meeting in disgust - the Council and I got to talking."

Zuko had indeed 'stormed out of the Council meeting in disgust' when he had heard about the marriage rule, and smiled briefly at his uncle's mention of it. It was a ridiculous term, and he was in the right to leave the meeting. Unfortunately, Uncle Iroh hadn't thought so, and made him personally apologise to every single member of the Council. It had been humiliating, but Zuko had swallowed his pride for a few minutes and done it anyway.

"We started discussing the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdoms, and their planned invasion on us," Iroh paused, thinking how useful it had proven to have spies infiltrate what was left of Ba Sing Se. "Not one of the Council want to carry on this war, and you know that I feel the same way. We decided that, in order to unite two countries and ensure that the other will not attack, you should marry outside of the Fire Nation."

Zuko groaned and closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't want any sort of marriage, let alone to an outsider who probably viewed him as a murderer. If he ever did want to marry, it would be for love, and not because a bunch of old people dictated it. Then again, the idea of love seemed immature and childish to him now. What use was love when all it caused was pain? He could do without.

"So that's it? You're just going to marry me off to some rich Earth Kingdom girl and have done with it?" Zuko asked indignantly, glaring up at his uncle.

Iroh sighed, perplexed. Zuko was outraged at the thought of getting married anyway…_wait until he found out who it was he was getting married to._

"You will not be marrying an Earth Kingdom girl, Zuko. They have many different monarchies - whichever one we chose would only result in a few people following the treaty we have planned, compared to if we chose the daughter of someone from the-"

"Water Tribe?" Zuko finished furiously, horrible comprehension dawning. "You can't be serious, Uncle! Fire Nation and Water Tribes do not mix, we learned that when…" he trailed off with a frown. "The only Water Tribe Princess died when Zhao killed the Moon Spirit. You were there, Uncle, remember. Unless…" Zuko trailed off again, before shooting Iroh an accusing glare. "You're marrying me off to a two year old? Uncle Iroh, that's-!"

"Zuko, I am not marrying you off to a two year old!" Iroh interrupted shortly, rubbing his temples. Dealing with his nephew's ridiculous and wild allegations was giving him a headache. Still, he reminded himself, he had to break the news gently.

"Then there is no royalty left in the Water Tribe," Zuko frowned in confusion.

"That isn't strictly true," Iroh said, shaking his head. He took a deep breath, and took the plunge. "Do you remember Katara, the Avatar's Waterbending friend?"

* * *

"What d'you think they're talking about in there?" A guard asked nervously, nodding towards the heavy doors.

"Probably nothing important," the other guard shrugged.

A second later, there was a huge explosion in the throne room that shook the whole palace. The two guards stared at each other, before hurriedly reaching to tug the doors open. Before they could, however, Prince Zuko flung the doors open and barged past them.

"I am _not _marrying her!" he shouted back to his uncle, before disappearing around a corner.

The guards looked at each other with understanding, and then rushed in to check on the Fire Lord, their heavy boots echoing on the marble floor.

"Sir!" the first guard gasped, skidding to a halt in front of the throne. After a hasty bow, he continued. "We heard the explosion, is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, thank you," Iroh murmured, rubbing his temples again. "I have just informed my nephew of who is to be your new Fire Lady when I retire."

"How did he take it?" the second guard asked, a note of sympathy in his voice.

Iroh raised his eyebrows and gestured around the room. The luxurious red drapes that hung from the ceiling were badly burnt, black scorch marks damaging all that was left of them. There were faint remains of soot on the four pillars closest to Iroh and on the floor where the Prince had stood just moments ago.

"Not as well as I would've hoped," Iroh finished, just in case the guard didn't grasp how well Zuko had _not_ taken the news. "Thank you for your assistance, you may leave."

The guards nodded, bowed again and swiftly left. Iroh sighed heavily.

"Zuko will come around," he muttered to himself. "He has to."

* * *

Katara watched the swaying water, mesmerized. Her eyes hypnotically followed it's every graceful movement as it gently caressed the side of the ship. She was alone on deck; the sailors seemed to be giving her a wide berth.

To everyone's surprise, Katara had boarded the ship bound to the Fire Nation with little resistance. After she had caused the war hut to explode, she had been forced to the icy tundra that lay barren just outside of the Water Tribe to calm down. Katara had allowed Sokka to take her arm and guide her there, lost in her own trail of thoughts.

"Katara, I know how much you hate the idea, but you really need to think about it," Sokka had persisted. Katara nodded, pretending to listen. "I mean, if Dad hadn't agreed, Iroh would've sent over a hundred powerful Fire Nation navy ships. Without help from the Earth Kingdom, we'd be dead before the ships had even weighed their anchors."

"So why don't we get help from the Earth Kingdom then?" Katara had asked, frowning and tugging her arm away from Sokka's grip. She had stopped in the snow and now turned to him questioningly, an edge of anger to her voice. "You're all saying that it's what's best, but it isn't what's best for me!"

"Katara-"

"No, Sokka!" she interrupted. The snow that surrounded them began to quiver. "While you're all sitting around safely at home, I'll be marrying the freaking _Prince of the Fire Nation_! I'm marrying the man who…who…" Her indignation died as she trailed off weakly, unable to finish the sentence.

Sokka hugged his little sister tightly, holding her close to his chest. "I know, Katara, and I am so sorry. Believe me, if there was any other way, any other option, then I'd take it. I'd do it without complaint if it meant sparing you from this." Sokka bit his lip before continuing. "But our options ran out the day we lost. If we don't want to aggravate the Fire Nation, then this is the only way."

"I don't want to marry him," Katara mumbled in a small, muffled voice against his shoulder. "I want to stay here with you and Dad and Gran Gran."

"We want you to stay here too, we really do. But we also want peace."

"I want peace!" Katara told him crossly. "Just not at this price."

Sokka released her and stepped back, taking a good look at her. Katara's resentful expression slowly faded, to be replaced with - if he wasn't mistaken - resignation.

"I don't want any more children to lose their mothers because of this war," she had whispered. "If there's a chance that I can stop it, then I'll do it."

Sokka beamed with pride at his little sister, who wasn't so little anymore. "Mom would be so proud of you. So would Aang."

"Are you kidding?" Katara chuckled weakly to mask the unbearable pain that shot through her when she heard his name. "He'd be pissed that it took us this long to come to a conclusion."

"Well, yeah, but he was always impatient," Sokka remembered fondly, still smiling.

Unwilling to carry on talking about that topic, Katara cleared her throat.

"I should start packing, I guess."

"There's not much point," Sokka shrugged. "Fire Nation winters are warmer than our summers."

"I know, but…" Katara tried to phrase her feelings without sounding stupid. "I need to bring some things from home to remind myself of who I am. I'll never be Fire Lady Katara," the title stuck in her throat unpleasantly, "I'll always be just Katara."

"Well then, 'Just Katara', we should be getting you back. Do you need any help packing?" Sokka asked, using air quotes around her name.

"No, thank you," Katara said, smiling a little at her brother.

"Oh, thank Gods. You know how much I panic when there are clothes everywhere. I know you're a girl, but _no one_ needs that many clothes."

As they had started to walk back, Katara didn't bother pointing out that most of the clothes she had were gifts and tokens of appreciation that she had never worn. Each silken garment trimmed with fur only served to remind her of how she had let the world down. How she had let herself down.

And now Katara stood on the ship that would lead her to her reluctant destiny, trying not to show how scared and alone she felt. It had been a few days since she had left - she had stopped counting after the mornings and nights had begun to blend into each other - and the Captain had told her this morning that they were due to arrive at the Fire Nation capital that day. The Water Tribe warriors that Hakoda had insisted should go were below deck, probably drunk out of their minds already. They were enjoying the sailor life too much in Katara's opinion. At first, it hadn't bothered her being the only girl on the ship (the men all knew very well what would happen if they made a move on her) but it had started getting ridiculous after the first couple of days. The warriors and the soldiers could only seem capable of talking about women, alcohol and, occasionally, gossiping about Katara and her fiancé. Katara knew, she had walked in on them enough times. The men would all mutter their apologies, before continuing as soon as they thought she was out of earshot.

"I heard there's already a bit of tension going on between them," whispered one soldier after Katara had left the room. Katara had narrowed her eyes before carrying on walking. A bit of tension? That was like calling Appa a moose lion cub. If only the men knew how deep the hatred Katara felt for the Prince went…

Still, she couldn't get the idiotic future Fire Lord out of her mind for the rest of that day, hence her standing on the deck. She hated everything the Prince stood for, she hated the way he had changed sides in Ba Sing Se, she hated the way he had assisted his father and sister…but most of all she hated the way he made her feel. After Ba Sing Se, Katara had felt so betrayed and hurt despite herself. She was so sure that they had connected somehow in the catacombs. She had told him about her mother, and he had confided about his own mother. She had been willing to help Zuko, and would've if Aang hadn't burst in. Both names then caused her to wince, both for different reasons. She supposed that she needed to get used to thinking and saying Zuko's name if she was to marry him. The previously calm waters began to rise and fall, but Katara took no notice.

_How could I have been so stupid? _she thought miserably. Because the truth was, even after his betrayal at Ba Sing Se, Katara had still had a microscopic bit of faith left in Zuko. She trusted him to do the right thing when it truly mattered…but once again, he had let her down. All of his words in the catacombs were an act. His brutal attacks on her (three times now, not that she was counting) had shown what he thought of her compassion and understanding. But what was it that Hakoda had said? Something like 'all was not as it seemed with Zuko' at the time of the invasion?

_Lies. Stupid, stupid lies._

Katara seethed silently, her fists clenching the rail that ran around the edge of the ship angrily. She wouldn't be taken in by the Fire Nation's lies anymore. She knew that Zuko knew exactly what he had been doing at the North Pole, in Ba Sing Se and on the Day of Black Sun. He had been completely in control of his actions and was fully aware as his lightning blasts help to rob people of their lives. He was nothing but a murderer, and he would have another thing coming if he thought that Katara would make married life easy for him.

"Lady Katara?"

The ship tipped dangerously on its side as Katara jumped. She soothed her leaping heart rate and quickly controlled the waters so they would set the ship upright again. She smiled slightly in apology, but the Captain shook his hand to show that it was of no consequence.

"Just to let you know, Miss, that we're due to arrive in the capital in about half an hour. We've arranged to land at a private port, so you won't have to deal with the locals," the Captain smiled.

"Thank you for telling me," Katara murmured, her fists still clenched. She was not angry with the Captain; for someone from the Fire Nation he was very kind. But the thoughts about Zuko still tore fresh through her mind, and she was still fuming about that.

"You'll be escorted to the Royal palace to freshen up and change before-"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" Katara frowned. She had washed and changed every day she had been on this ship, so the clothes she was wearing now were clean.

The Captain looked apologetic. "They just aren't very Fire Nation, M'Lady."

Katara turned back to the waves with a sigh. "Of course they're not," she murmured sadly, her tone suggesting that she should have already known this.

"After you've freshened up and changed, you'll meet the Fire Lord and Prince Zuko. Or should I say, your new husband," the Captain said lightly, as though this were a good thing.

"Don't call him that," Katara scowled, pushing past the Captain and striding angrily to her quarters.

* * *

**A/N:**

**The good parts about having exams all last week is that I got study leave. So thank study leave for this chapter :P**

**Also, in a much more major way, thank you to all who reviewed/story alerted/favorited ****Sanctuary**** last chapter! I****m really glad that so many of you enjoyed, and I hope that you continue to tell me how you think this story is going :D**

**This chapter is somewhat short and fillerish in the sense that not much progress is made****but that****s because of the next chapter that you may or may not find in your email inbox on Christmas Day (:**

**Have any of you seen "The Western Air Temple"? It was a brilliant episode…so, so funny :D**

**Once again, many thanks to the readers who reviewed!**

**- Momo**


	3. I Walk Alone

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Whispered in my heart when hope is torn apart, that no one can save you. You don't have to see what I turned out to be, no one can help you. __I walk alone, every step I take, I walk alone. My winter storm, holding me awake, it's never gone…when I walk alone._

- I Walk Alone _by_ Tarja Turunen

* * *

Katara rarely got seasick. She supposed it had to do with water being a natural thing of comfort to her, and the swaying of a boat was usually soothing. But as the Fire Nation ship she travelled on docked in the capital city, Katara had never felt more ill in her life.

_It's just nerves, _she assured herself. _Just nerves. There's nothing to worry about, nothing to panic about. You're only meeting up with the man who tried to kill you on multiple occasions, made your life a living hell and ended up killing people that you cared about. You're only marrying that man. _She assessed what she had just thought. _Okay, maybe there _is_ something to worry about._

Katara gulped audibly as the ship rammed into the docking area. The clink of metal on metal seemed so cold and final, as though her destiny had already been decided for her and was now a closed case. Which, in a way, she supposed it was.

In hindsight, Katara hadn't dressed very suitably for the Fire Nation at all. She had been forced to abandon the fur-trimmed coat she had worn, and was coming dangerously close to breaking out in a sweat. The sun burned down on her, already picking her as an outsider who didn't belong. She glowered back up at it for as long as she could, before squinting away, now seeing bright dots in front of her eyes. She blinked rapidly to get her eyesight back to normal, probably looking very odd to the sailors who carried her three cases of clothes and personal items down the ramp that led to dry land.

"Ready to leave, Lady Katara?" the Captain asked gently. He had walked up behind Katara without her even noticing, and she jumped slightly. The seawater rose sharply, before splashing back down to the sea as Katara whipped around. When she saw who had spoken, her face relaxed into an anxious smile.

"I think I'd rather stay on the ship, if it's all the same to you," she replied.

The Captain laughed and shook his head at her 'joke', before walking away and beckoning Katara to follow him.

"I was being serious," Katara muttered, confused, but took a deep breath and followed the Captain anyway.

Her legs shook terribly as she walked down the metal plank and she focused all of her energies on not falling off. Trust that to be her first official act on Fire Nation soil as the future Fire Lady. Reaching the sandy stone ground after stepping quickly off the plank, Katara took a few silent moments to gaze wistfully back at the ship. Aside from her clothes, it was the last shred of her sacrificed identity and she was sad to leave it behind. The Captain allowed these precious few moments, before clearing his throat pointedly. Katara sighed, before slowly turning her back on the ship and following the Captain to the end of the harbor sadly. There were four large men waiting beside what Katara could only describe as a silk tent on sticks. She raised an eyebrow at this obvious method of travelling, but said nothing.

"Lady Katara, it has been an honor. I wish you all the blessings in your marriage and on your future children," the Captain said, bowing.

Katara was so horrified at the Captain's mention of children, that she only managed a half-hearted bow back and an unintelligible noise. Still in slight shock, she walked slowly towards the 'tent on sticks'. This was obviously transport for the wealthy, possibly only for the Royal Family, but, the more Katara stared at it dubiously, the more she doubted that it would hold anyone's weight. Two steps led up to the base of the carrier, and Katara glanced around before climbing in. The carrier was surprisingly roomy, its floor carpeted with soft black material. Plump, plush cushions adorned the four sides, their colors ranging from soft pink to deadly red. Katara gingerly sat down in the middle of the carrier and leant back, wincing in case she leant too far and fell out of the silken walls, which hung loosely from the ceiling of the carrier. To her surprise, she managed to stay well within the walls. The carrier was definitely bigger that it looked. Getting over her initial glee at the brightly colored cushions, Katara sat up again and sighed. She shuffled over and huddled into a corner, bringing her knees up to her chin comfortingly. The pressure of everything that was about to happen suddenly weighed heavily on her, and she began to gnaw her lip anxiously. Thousands of thoughts ran through her mind, none of them making much sense.

It didn't occur to Katara that the carrier wasn't moving until footsteps rattled on the steps that lead to the carrier. Katara froze and stared at the entrance that consisted of two flaps of thick red silk. A hand slowly reached through the flaps and pushed them aside. Katara's own hand went instinctively to the water pouch that remained on her hip, ready to attack if necessary. The heat outside began to seep into the carrier, and Katara's heart beat faster. Then, swiftly, a woman climbed into the carrier and began to speak in a clear, cool voice.

"Good morning, Lady Katara. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. My name is Lady Arisu, and I will be your mentor from now on."

* * *

Zuko glared angrily at his bedroom wall. Today was the day he would see the Avatar's Waterbending friend again, and he was dreading it. He had already set his bed on fire four times through anger and anxiety since he had been in his room. His uncle had greeted him cheerily at breakfast, laughing and joking with him. Zuko had given Iroh the dirtiest look he could muster, yet it still didn't sum up his feelings about the world right now. He understood the Council's need for security, but what the hell they had been smoking when they ordered marriage was beyond Zuko. He could be perfectly secure without a wife, particularly when it was a young woman whose best friend he had basically killed. No matter how many times Iroh had assured him that, when Katara learnt the truth, she would not be angry, Zuko didn't agree. This girl, this 'Katara', would hate him no matter what. Part of Zuko acknowledged and even sympathised with the Water Tribe girl, but another, much larger part, despised that, out of all the girls in the world, she had to be the one he would marry. She would never accept him.

Narrowing his eyes and accidentally setting his bed alight again, Zuko waved his arm and extinguished the flames sulkily. Iroh had informed him to be waiting outside the palace dining room at midday precisely, or suffer his wrath. Zuko had begun to ask why they wouldn't meet the girl in the throne room, but trailed off as comprehension dawned. He finished with a small "oh", before nodding and stalking off to his room. That had been a while ago, and it was drawing worryingly close to midday.

There came a light knock on Zuko's door, jerking him out of his thoughts.

"Come," Zuko called, standing up in case it was something important. People rarely called in on him whilst he was brooding - they knew that the Prince wanted to be left alone most of the time.

One of the elder Council members entered, and Zuko stood up a little straighter. He had nothing to prove to anyone, but this was a man he respected.

"Taro," the Prince greeted with an inclination of his head.

"Your Grace," Taro replied, bowing. Without any prompting, the old man began to talk. "I am here in association with the arrival of Lady Katara. I understand that you and she do not share the brightest of histories, yes?"

"That's correct," Zuko replied, frowning. "But of course, you knew that anyway.

Taro smiled, his faded golden eyes twinkling amid his wrinkled face and short white hair. This man had been a respected member of the Fire Nation Council for many years now, but Zuko liked him mainly because he did not pressure him unlike the other members. At least, not until now.

"I did," Taro confessed, smiling. "And I wish to give you some advice."

Zuko held up a hand, cutting the old man off. "If this is anything to do with my wedding night, then I would be eternally grateful if you skipped it. I have already tried to burn my ears off once after hearing my uncle's 'tips' and do not wish to go through that again."

"I would never dream of talking to a member of the Royal Family about such matters," Taro chuckled, his smile turning into a cheeky grin. "But if you ever have any questions-"

"Stop. Stop, stop, stop," Zuko ordered quickly, aware that the old man was only joking, but worried that he may continue talking anyway. "Finish that sentence and sign your own death warrant."

"In my day, teenagers respected their elders," Taro said, still grinning. "That meant we had to sit through whatever excruciatingly embarrassing talk they had planned."

"Times have changed, luckily," Zuko replied, also smiling now to show that he meant no disrespect.

"Indeed they have," Taro smiled. His expression turned sombre and he sighed. "Prince Zuko, I am aware of how Lady Katara probably feels about you currently, and I know that she is not coming here to marry you voluntarily."

"I'm not exactly thrilled about it either," Zuko objected.

"Be that as it may…there are certain ways you must treat your future bride if you are to show the Council that you will make a good ruler."

"I was taught to always respect women," Zuko said slowly, unsure of what Taro would advise him to do.

"And indeed you should," Taro nodded emphatically. "Yet she must know who is in control of the relationship. You should treat her with respect, but indifferent and distant respect."

"So…I should treat her the way I would anyone else?"

"Be cruel to be kind," Taro replied, nodding again. "I want Lady Katara to be accepted into the Fire Nation, but she will not know our customs and people will take advantage of that. It is best if she is seen and not heard - at least, for now."

Zuko mused over this for a few moments. "She isn't going to like that."

"It isn't up to her. It's a good idea that you don't tell her what I've advised you."

"I probably shouldn't tell anyone, especially not the Fire Lord," Zuko added with a swift nod.

A distant gong rang in the distance, and both men looked up sharply, although there were no time telling devices in the Prince's room.

"That means that Katara's arrived," Zuko frowned, thinking over how he would greet his…_fiancée_. "She's late."

"Not a good start," Taro agreed, "although it isn't her fault. She will take an hour to get ready now, judging by other young women. Plus Lady Arisu will need to quickly teach her some manners and instruct her on how to greet the Fire Lord properly."

"She's got manners already," Zuko said, before he could stop himself.

"You know this for certain?" Taro asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, no," Zuko admitted, unsure of why he had stuck up for the girl in the first place. "There wasn't much time for pleasantries when we were attacking each other." He paused. "Did I mention how dramatically I think this marriage is going to fail?"

Taro laughed and put a hand on the young Prince's shoulder, guiding him outside gently.

"It isn't a question of the marriage working; it's a question of ruling the nation. Now come, you should meet with the Fire Lord, even if you won't meet Katara for a while yet. Or, should I say, your future wife."

"Don't call her that," Zuko groaned, walking off down the corridor after shutting his door.

* * *

Everything about Arisu screamed upper class. Her glossy black hair was tightly pinned back into a bun and fastened with a gold clip, her crimson clothes seemed only of the finest material, and every finger dazzled with a fat, ruby encrusted ring. Katara had to work hard to allow herself to feel equal to this woman, who had already undermined her confidence.

"Uh…hi, I'm Katara," Katara replied weakly, forcing herself to look into the woman's sharp golden eyes. Arisu could not be more than in her fifties, and yet the way she slowly eyed Katara up and down critically made Katara feel as though she was with someone her own age.

"You've failed the first test," Arisu frowned, shaking her head.

"But I only said hello and my name," Katara replied, also frowning. Tests? This whole farce was a test - a test of her endurance and ability to cope before wanting to throw herself off a cliff. _Now I get some woman telling me what to do? _Katara thought, outraged. _This is going to be so irritating._

"Exactly, but it's the way you said it that matters. You are about to become Royalty, you simply cannot introduce yourself in the way you just did," Arisu scolded.

Everything shook slightly as the men outside picked up the poles and began to move the carrier carefully. This gave Katara a distraction in which to think of what the hell she was going to say next. Arisu spoke with perfect enunciation and a clear accent, something that Katara found intimidating. She was no Swampbender, but she definitely didn't talk the same way that the upper class Fire Nation women obviously did.

"I'm…sorry?" Katara tried with a shrug. When Arisu winced, she knew she had done something wrong again.

"You should never shrug; it is very unladylike and not befitting of the future Fire Lady."

Katara sat up a little straighter. She had promised herself earlier that she wouldn't change just because she now lived in the Fire Nation, but less than fifteen minutes into arriving that promise looked in serious danger of being broken.

"That's a little better," Arisu murmured as Katara copied the woman's sitting posture. "Now, back to before. Whenever meeting someone for the first time, you must greet him or her accordingly. First, wish them a good time of day, such as 'good morning' or 'good evening'. Always add their title and name onto this opening sentence. Next, mention that you are delighted to make their acquaintance. Finally, introduce yourself and add your purpose for being here. For example, you may remember that I greeted you with 'good morning, Lady Katara. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. My name is Lady Arisu, and I will be your mentor from now on'. This is how you should always greet and be greeted."

Katara allowed everything that Arisu had just said sink in, but it wasn't easy. All the important people that she met would just judge her anyway because she was from the Water Tribe, so what was the point in trying to impress them? Aware that she would probably be forced to greet Zuko with something similar to this, Katara frowned.

"What if you _aren't _delighted to make their acquaintance?" she asked.

"Then you lie," Arisu replied. Katara noted that she spoke through gritted teeth, and thought this unnecessary. How was Katara supposed to learn without asking questions? If Arisu expected her to sit still and be quiet like a good little woman, then she could head straight back to whichever depths of hell she had come from.

_Well, okay, maybe that's a little harsh, _Katara amended guiltily.

"Next, I shall teach you to speak properly. I'm aware that being from the Water Tribe means that you will not be as educated as the Fire Nation, but I will do what I can," Arisu said airily.

Katara narrowed her eyes dangerously. _Deep, dark depths of hell._

It was a long ride to the palace.

When the carrier jerked to a halt, Katara took a deep breath. She didn't want to leave the safe haven of the silk walls, but knew she must. Her own personal hell was waiting just moments away, and she was in no particular rush to greet it. Arisu, however, had different ideas.

"Come, Lady Katara. You are late as it is, and we cannot keep the Fire Lord and the Prince waiting for much longer."

"There's a lot we 'cannot' do, isn't there?" Katara grumbled, standing up reluctantly. The carrier was big enough so that Katara could stand up comfortably, but Arisu had to bow her head a little whilst giving Katara a disapproving look.

"You have a sense of humor. Amusing. That'll have to go," she added darkly under her breath. Katara rolled her eyes, but remained silent and climbed down the steps.

A wave of hot air blasted her as she stepped out. It hadn't been too bad by the port; the gentle sea breeze had made sure she kept cool. This however was unbearable, like stepping into an oven. An oven that had been set on fire. And then blown up. Katara grabbed on of the poles supporting the carrier, feeling a wave of dizziness and nausea brought on by the heat. She was sure that the sight of the large palace didn't help much either.

The building - her new home - was ridiculously built up and looked as unwelcoming as before. Katara stared up at it and, despite the heat, felt a shiver ran down her spine.

"_Katara, you, Sokka and the Earthbenders take the left side of the palace. Take out as many Firebenders as you can. Toph and I, along with the Water Tribe warriors, will take the right side of the palace. There should be one long hallway leading to the throne room, and we'll meet up there. I'll go face the Fire Lord," Aang hollered backwards, pointing in the directions he had just mentioned._

"_No!" Katara shouted, scandalized. "I am not letting you face him alone!"_

"_Katara, you have no choice! It's my destiny to fight the Fire Lord, and I'm doing it alone," Aang replied quickly, an edge of frenzied panic to his voice. "The eclipse will be over soon, I can't risk missing this chance to fight him."_

"_We're all going together!" Katara snapped, the pressure and the heat getting to her. "We've got your back, and we'll all fight the Fire Lord."_

_There were cries of agreement, and Aang shook his head in anger, looking up at the tall palace in front of him. He deliberated for one more moment before sighing._

"_Fine!" he shouted back to the assembled crowd behind him. "Now come on, we need to get a move on!"_

_Katara, Toph and Sokka ran from their places in the crowd to join Aang on the frontline._

"_Thanks for doing this with me, guys," Aang murmured. The gratitude in his voice made him seem even younger when coupled with the ill-hidden fear shining in his gray eyes._

"_You're family," Sokka said, punching the young Airbender on the arm lightly._

"_Yeah, we're not about to let you go in there alone, Twinkletoes," Toph scoffed, cracking her knuckles menacingly._

"_We're with you until the end," Katara said softly, touching Aang's shoulder gently._

A hand tapped on Katara's shoulder, and she was jerked out of her memory.

"Are you alright?" Arisu asked in a surprisingly gentle voice.

Katara, not trusting herself to speak, nodded and bit her lip. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the front of the palace. It was so hard to believe that, in almost this exact spot, many months ago Aang had stood here. That they had all stood here, alive and well. Now only Katara paused briefly in this spot, emotionally sick. She had stopped feeling alive years ago.

"We should go," Arisu murmured, in the same soft voice. "We wouldn't want to be late for Prince Zuko."

"I don't want to marry him," Katara whispered, sounding like a little girl again. She had never felt more vulnerable in her life than she felt right now, and hugged her arms around herself comfortingly. She felt closer to crying than she had in the past few months, yet the tears still stubbornly refused to fall. "After all he's done to me, I don't want to."

Arisu placed a hesitant hand on Katara's shoulder, unsure of how to deal with emotional young women, despite having been young once herself.

"I understand your reservations-"

"You understand _nothing_," Katara hissed, shrugging her shoulder away from the woman and stalking into the palace, past the two Fire Nation soldiers standing guard. They gave her an awkward bow, obviously knowing who she was, but unsure of how to react. They hurriedly opened the heavy front double doors for her as she stormed past. Arisu's patronizing tone had done it for Katara; she couldn't stand there a moment longer and be reminded of how she was betraying Aang's memory by marrying his murderer.

The palace was refreshingly cool after the scorching heat of outside, and Katara took a moment to appreciate this. Then it registered where she was, and she scowled. Not much had changed in the past two years; the tiled floors were still shined to perfection, pictures of past Fire Lords still lined the walls, servants still scurried like rats across the hall. Katara was in danger of having another painful flashback, but Arisu, who had caught up huffily, tapped her shoulder again. This time however, there was no pity or compassion in her touch.

"Come, Lady Katara. I will show you to your room. These will be your personal servants," she indicated to two girls, only a little older than Katara herself, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Katara regarded them a little nervously. They were servants, and yet they still fit in better than she did. Their dull black hair was tied back into a ponytail and they wore dark red dresses that reached down to their ankles. If the dresses hadn't cut off at the shoulder, then the girls would have been boiling in their outfits. From what Katara could see from the male servants that were hurrying and avoiding her eyes, they wore black tops that similarly cut off at the shoulders and red pants, the same color as the girls' uniforms.

While Katara was staring, Arisu began to walk briskly off in another direction. Katara snapped her gaze up, and swiftly followed, trying not run to keep up.

"At least I'll have my own room," Katara muttered to Arisu, striding to keep up with the noble woman's pace. "I was worried for a moment there that I'd have to share a bed with Zuko." She heaved a shudder and the girls behind her giggled.

"_I _wouldn't mind sharing a bed with the Prince," one whispered to the other, who erupted into another fit of giggles.

"You're welcome to him," Katara said darkly. "Please, marry him. Consider it your first order from me."

"You will, of course, be sharing a bed with Prince Zuko once you are married," Arisu informed Katara tersely. "And you must always refer to his title. Never call him by his name only."

"If you think that I am sharing a bed with that moron-"

"Please, Lady Katara!" Arisu gasped, so scandalized that she stopped in her tracks and stared at Katara. "Speak of Prince Zuko only with respect!"

"I _was_ being respectful," Katara replied. At Arisu's continued stunned stare, she smiled sweetly. "If you think that 'moron' is the worst name that I could call Zuko, then boy are you in for a shock."

Katara started walking down the corridor for effect, praying that she was going the right way and wasn't about to make a fool out of herself. She could practically hear Arisu and the servant girls deliberating about whether or not to go after her.

"We don't want to be late," Katara called back, smirking. It was a good job that she wasn't in the Fire Nation to make friends, because she sure as hell wasn't trying to be friendly.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Surprise! So I figured that the Christmas Day chapter should be a special one, preferably where Zuko and Katara meet for the first time after Aang's death. But I had to introduce my new OCs, and didn't want to make the Christmas chapter too long. So I wrote this chapter and started writing the next one, which will still be out on Christmas Day. I'd really appreciate it if you could review and tell me what you thought (:**

**Thank you so much to all my reviewers and the people who have favorited/story alerted 'Sanctuary'.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend Kas whose birthday it is tomorrow.**

**Right, it's back to typing my fingers off for the next chapter (which will be my Christmas present to you all :P).**

**- Momo**


	4. Open Wounds

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Tell me why you broke me down and betrayed my trust in you. You can't stop me from falling apart, 'cause my self-destruction is all your fault._

- Open Wounds _by_ Skillet

* * *

"Welcome to your new room," Arisu said icily, pushing open a dark wooden door to reveal a large, dark room. Katara stood on the threshold cautiously, unsure if she wanted to accept this strange place as her bedroom. Everything was so big and luxurious and…_red_. The soft, crimson carpet was plush as Katara carefully tread on it, her feet sinking softly. The whole room seemed to be made from the same darkened wood, from the towering wardrobe on one side of the room, to the canopy bed on the other. A desk complete with a mirror and drawers rested next to a large window, whose black drapes were currently shut. The room had no personality whatsoever, and Katara feared that the Fire Nation would expect their future Fire Lady to be the same; cold and emotionless.

_Zuko couldn't just marry Mai? _she thought in exasperation looking desolately around the room.

Arisu strode forward and flung open the heavy curtains. Harsh light flooded into the room and Katara winced away, squinting as her eyes became used to the new lighting. Things didn't look _as _bad in the sunlight, but Katara still felt uneasy accepting this as her room.

"Come, there is little time left," Arisu said snappily, directing Katara to a door that was so dark that Katara hadn't originally noticed it alongside the rooms dark décor. Arisu pulled the door open to reveal a small bathroom. Katara walked carefully forward to glance at the bathroom, relieved that she would get her own private place to bathe. Sure enough, alongside a toilet and stone basin, a large bath gleamed against the dark tiled floor. The bath was already filled with water.

"I'm having a bath?" Katara guessed, turning back to Arisu and her two servant girls.

"Indeed. A ship is not the most hygienic of places to live for any period of time," Arisu sniffed, wrinkling her nose. "I sent notice to the Firebending servants a few minutes ago, so the water should be nicely heated."

Katara nodded, and waited for Arisu and the girls to leave so she could undress. As much as she didn't want to be a part of the Fire Nation, she couldn't deny herself the luxury of a warm bath. However, when nobody moved, Katara began to feel uncomfortable.

"Would you mind leaving the room so I can take my bath?" Katara asked awkwardly. _Do Fire Nation women take pride in having no inhibitions about their bodies or something? Why aren't they leaving?_

"Excuse us, Lady Katara, but we were told to supervise you at all times," one girl piped up.

"Instructions from the Prince," the other added helpfully.

Katara scowled. She hadn't been at the palace for an hour, and yet Zuko was already getting on her nerves.

"Well, you can go and tell _Prince Zuko_," she hissed his name, "to go and shove his supervision up his-"

"Lady Katara!" Arisu snapped. "I understand your dislike for the Prince, but he is our future leader and your future husband, and I will hear no disrespect from you about him. We shall leave you alone to bathe, but you have five minutes. Soap and liquid to cleanse your hair can be found in this cabinet." Arisu lightly tapped a small cupboard with her foot. "After that, we shall dress you appropriately."

Katara glared defiantly at Arisu, but slowly nodded to show she understood the instructions.

"Five minutes," Arisu reminded, before pushing open the door and exiting, closely followed by the servant girls.

"I can't believe I have restrictions on how long I can bathe," Katara grumbled, but quickly grabbed a nearby fluffy towel and draped it on the tiles next to the bath. This way, it would be easily accessible for when she wanted to get out of the water. Katara quickly stripped and stepped into the bath. The water was perfect, and she soon sank into it gratefully.

It took less than three minutes to clean herself and her hair, and Katara took the precious last two minutes to simply enjoy the water around her body. Surrounded by her natural element, it was hard for her to feel worried or angry about anything. The water lapped gently against her neck and she savoured it with relish. Then a sharp knock rapped on the door.

"Time's up!" Arisu shouted. Her voice was no less annoying through thick wood. "You have ten seconds to get out of the bath."

"What is her obsession with time limits?" Katara muttered, hurrying to wrap the scarlet towel around herself. She quickly bended all droplets of water off her body but didn't have time to dry her hair. The tiles on the floor and walls were steamy with condensation, and Katara had to be careful not to slip up. The door opened suddenly, and Katara was immensely glad that she had robed herself. About ten more women stood in her bedroom, all standing up straight and watching her curiously.

"What's with the audience?" Katara asked Arisu as they stepped out of the bathroom. She squirmed slightly under the gaze of so many people and found herself hiding slightly behind her self-appointed mentor.

"These are the servants who will dress you, style your hair and apply your makeup every morning. You need not bother learning their names," Arisu replied carelessly. "Now, let's begin. We only have a few minutes until she meets the Fire Lord and the Prince."

Arisu's words caused Katara's stomach to jolt unpleasantly. However, she had no time to feel nervous, as a swarm of people suddenly rushed her. Hands grabbed her and pushed her towards and behind a screen that was decorated with flowers. Undergarments were thrown her way, with the polite but frenzied instruction for her to put them on. Then, abruptly as it started, the pushing and voices stopped. Looking around, startled, Katara could see that all the servants had their backs to her. Black underwear and a breast band, similar to the white one she used to have for swimming, were strewn at her feet. Just as she was bending down to pick them up (towel still wrapped firmly around her body), Arisu's irritable voice rang out:

"We don't have all day, Lady Katara."

"All right!" Katara snapped back. She quickly pulled on the underwear and adjusted the breast band. "I'm done."

Almost simultaneously, the servants whirled around to inspect her. Someone yanked her towel away from her, leaving her feeling vulnerable, not to mention bare. There was a split second pause, and then there was a flurry of movements. Katara barely had time to take in what was happening before she was handed a red lump of very soft material.

"Your clothes, My Lady," one woman murmured, keeping her head low out of respect. It seemed that someone had told them all to view Katara as a member of the Royal Family, because no one was meeting her eyes.

"Thank you," Katara replied, watching as the remaining servants scurried around the room, collecting makeup and a brush. Katara wanted to ask for a moment to mourn the loss of her Water Tribe attire, but knew that she would be rebuked by Arisu. So, silently, Katara held up her new clothes. She had half been expecting something similar to what she had seen Mai wearing all those years ago, something that looked like a black cape that left enough room for another person. She was pleasantly surprised when a long dress unfolded. Tentatively placing the dress against herself, Katara found that the length was perfect for her. Pulling the dress over her head and smoothing it down, Katara stepped out from the screen. The servants stopped what they were doing and looked at her attire speculatively. Obviously deciding that they liked what they saw, they all turned back to whatever tasks they were doing for the moment. The middle section of the screen was a full length mirror, and Katara slowly stepped towards it, frightened of what she would see.

It was worse than she thought.

The dress itself was beautiful, cutting off in between her chin and chest and bordered with black ribbon. The material became looser at her waist and flowed out from her legs and down to her ankles. The bottom of the dress was also trimmed with black. No, it was what she looked like in the dress that made Katara's heart sink.

Arisu walked up behind Katara, looking at Katara's reflection approvingly.

"You look just like a future Fire Lady," Arisu smiled.

"I know," Katara replied sadly, fingering the waist of her dress. "That's the problem."

"Nonsense," Arisu told her. "You look beautiful. Now then, we really must do something about your hair."

Katara was too touched by Arisu's compliment to fuss over how her hair looked.

"If you would kindly kneel down, so that the servants can reach your hair properly…you'll have to have it in the Fire Nation style," Arisu mused, indicating a spot for Katara to kneel.

A crowd of servants suddenly appeared the moment Katara obliged Arisu's instruction, brushes, combs and ribbons in their eager hands. Katara nervously bit her lip as there was a quiet murmuring between the servants on how they should style her hair.

"I'm afraid that your hair is a little wet, Lady Katara," mumbled the nearest servant, a woman in her thirties. "You will have to wear it up so this doesn't show."

"I have a better idea," Katara informed the woman. "Stand back."

Katara, still kneeling on the soft carpet, lifted her hands and placed them on her hair. She waited for a moment before drawing them away. A trail of sparkling water followed. There was an assembled gasp as Katara Waterbended her hair dry, then carefully balanced the water in the palms of both her hands.

"Is there anywhere I can put this?" Katara asked, although she enjoyed the feeling of water in her hands too much to let it go just that moment. The sun that shot into the bedroom caught on the water, making it shimmer and dazzle. Katara could feel the shocked eyes of the servants on her, and realized that they had never seen a Waterbender in action before.

"H-here's a bucket, Miss," stammered one servant, holding forward a bucket with quivering hands. When Katara dropped the water carefully into the bucket, the woman almost dropped it with fright. Arisu sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.

"Let's try and act professional, shall we ladies?" she asked in a bored voice.

"Sorry Lady Arisu," a choir of voiced replied.

While one servant disposed of the bucket, a few more sat around Katara and began to brush her hair. Their brushing was quick yet gentle, and Katara enjoyed the feeling. Back in the Southern Water Tribe, the cold air bit her hair every day, so she gave up trying to brush it. Nimble fingers selected the parts of Katara's hair that she used for her 'hair loopies', as Sokka had called them, and more, then tied it back. The side of Katara's face felt oddly naked without her hair, but she supposed she would have to get used to it. Arisu appeared suddenly in front of Katara, and produced a golden hair clip sporting the Fire Nation sign.

"You will receive this when you are married," Arisu explained, caressing the symbol lovingly. "It is the greatest of honors, and should not be taken lightly."

Katara, deciding to leave the argument of whether or not she would wear it for another time, nodded and remained silent. However, when hands began to fumble with the clasp on her necklace, Katara frowned and ducked her head out of reach. She turned around angrily.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, glaring at the servants directly behind her.

"Your necklace is Water Tribe, Lady Katara," one servant replied anxiously.

"I'm aware of that," Katara snapped back. "It belonged to my mother."

"It's just that you're the future Fire Lady, and you wearing a Water Tribe necklace sends out the wrong message," another servant said awkwardly.

"I don't care what message it sends out - and I don't care who ordered you to take it off me," she added quickly when she saw Arisu about to object. "I am keeping this necklace, and if Prince Zuko doesn't like it then he can answer to me."

There was a silence, in which none of the servants knew quite what to say or where to look. It was as though no one had ever dared to defy Zuko's orders…something which, the more Katara thought about it, was probably true. Things were going to change now that Katara was here though. She would make sure that she did nothing to jeopardise the safety of the Water Tribes, but she would not simply just lie down and let the Fire Nation (and more specifically Zuko) walk all over her.

"We should get your makeup done, Lady Katara," Arisu said, interrupting the silence briskly. "Considering the tones of your skin, I feel that your eyes should be outlined in black. We can experiment with the color of your lips later, but for now I suggest that they be painted dark red." She looked around at the servants imperiously. "Well?" she barked. "What are you waiting for?"

* * *

Zuko drummed his fingers agitatedly against the wall he slouched beside. He and his uncle had stood in this same damned spot for over half an hour, waiting for the stupid Water Tribe girl. Zuko knew that girls took awhile to get ready, but this was ridiculous. For obvious reasons, Iroh had chosen to decline the offer of meeting in the throne room, leaving only the dining room to meet in. Zuko half-heartedly suggested the war room, but Azula was the only female ever allowed in there, and that was because she, as their father had put it, was 'worthy'. Zuko translated this into "she's willing to sacrifice innocent troops and won't show me up". For some reason, the Council had insisted that this rule be kept, something which Iroh didn't have a problem with.

"How much longer, Uncle?" Zuko sighed tensely. "No girl should take this long in getting ready."

"Patience is a virtue, Zuko, and something that will get you far when you become Fire Lord," Iroh replied gently. "But I agree that young women take too long in getting ready."

There was a long silence.

"Katara has been through much in her short life. I ask that you do not make her first few weeks here difficult or unpleasant for her in any way," Iroh said after a while, turning to his nephew seriously.

"I don't think that she'll give me the time of day to talk to her, let alone be unpleasant," Zuko replied truthfully. It was a worry that had been bothering him for quite awhile now. How would Katara react when she saw him again? Would she outright attack him? Hurl accusations at him?

"Give her time," Iroh advised.

"So you've placed large blue vases filled with water in every room in an effort to make her feel more at home, I'm guessing?" Zuko asked after a moment. Every room with an open door that he had passed on the way to the dining room had at least two decorative pieces designed to carry water.

"That's correct," Iroh nodded.

In Zuko's opinion, placing water in every room of the palace wasn't the best of plans. It gave Katara more opportunities to attack him. While he knew that he could more than handle the girl's attacks, it would be annoying constantly having to defend himself.

"Prince Zuko, there's something you should know about Miss Katara," Iroh said after taking an alarmingly deep breath.

_That isn't the best way to start a sentence, _Zuko thought, a frown on his face.

"I have been in correspondence with her father, and it seems that she…after the Avatar died, her Waterbending wasn't always controllable. As you know, our bending is powerfully linked with our emotional state, and, having suffered the terrible loss that she had, Katara's emotions were a little more fragile-"

"Than the typical teenage girl, I get it," Zuko interrupted. The frown that wrinkled his brow deepened. "But she's stable now, right?"

"Yes, of course." Iroh's answer was much too quick for Zuko's liking. With narrowed eyes, the Prince opened the dining hall door a fraction and glanced inside. After this, he sighed and looked up and down the corridor.

"Uncle, there's no water in sight."

"I know." At his nephew's look, the Fire Lord shrugged. "It is better to be safe than sorry."

"Meaning that if the Water Tribe girl could get a hold of water, she'd attack and defeat me?" Zuko asked, his eyebrow raised. He tried not to sound overly defensive, but his tone still came across as hostile.

"Prince Zuko, you will refer to Lady Katara with her title, make no disparaging remarks about her culture and never bring up thoughts of attack," Iroh chastised sternly. "But yes, that's exactly what I meant."

Zuko was about to reply angrily when footsteps echoed down the corridor.

"Finally," he muttered, trying to hide the way his traitorous heart thumped erratically in his chest. He briefly wondered if it would be cowardly to turn and run in the opposite direction, but then severely told himself that the Water Tribe girl was nothing to be afraid of.

Iroh stepped away from the wall and turned to face the oncoming women, a large smile on his face that, to Zuko's surprise, was sincere. The elderly Fire Lord shot Zuko a sideways glance, furtively telling the Prince to copy what his uncle did.

"Lady Arisu, Lady Katara," Iroh nodded as the women came to a stop in front of him. He inclined his head and Lady Arisu bowed lowly. Zuko nodded, carefully avoiding Katara's eyes. Katara did not bow to Iroh, nor did she make any acknowledgement to Zuko. Feeling it safe to look at the Waterbender, Zuko stole a quick glance. Katara was clad in a crimson dress that fell to her ankles. Zuko was stunned to note that she did not look as atrocious as he had first thought; the scarlet of the material oddly complimented her skin tone. Her hair had been made up in the way that high society Fire Nation women wore their hair, and a light coat of makeup had been applied. And of course, the girl still wore her mother's necklace.

As Iroh and Arisu exchanged pleasantries, Katara kept her eyes downwards, leaving Zuko free to look at her. It was perplexing how different she looked. The clothes, hairstyle and makeup only contributed a little to how much the Water Tribe girl had changed. Before, she was strong and confident, ready to fight and defend herself at all times. Now however, the girl's shoulders huddled together, her hands were clasped and she would not make eye contact. The last two years had not been kind to Katara; although puberty had struck and her figure had filled out more, she looked small and fragile now, as though she would fall apart at the slightest touch. Zuko felt an unexpected pang as he took in her appearance, and had to quickly rearrange his facial features to that of indifference.

"Thank you for coming Lady Katara," Iroh said, shaking Zuko out of his thoughts. A quick look at his uncle told Zuko that Iroh saw the difference in Katara too. The Fire Lord frowned slightly as he addressed the girl, and spoke in unnecessarily kind tones.

"You threatened to invade my home and attack everyone I love; there really wasn't much of a choice," Katara replied quietly without looking up. Her courage had slipped away with each step she took to meet Iroh and Zuko, and she silently cursed herself. She had vowed to be strong but polite. Instead, she was answering back in a way that would get the Water Tribes attacked if she wasn't careful. She hadn't meant to reply in that way…it had just slipped out. Feeling the eyes of everyone burning into her, Katara quickly glanced up to Arisu, who was shaking her head.

"I mean…delighted to make your acquaintance?" Katara amended, faltering. Her insincerity and uncertainty was painfully obvious.

"My apologies, Your Highness," Arisu grovelled. "I have not yet had a chance to teach Lady Katara about the proper ways to greet royalty such as yourself…I will try harder next time."

"Calm yourself, Lady Arisu," Iroh said gently. At a quick glance, Katara saw good-natured humor sparkling in his eyes and was shocked. "It is of n consequence. It is my pleasure to see you again, Lady Katara."

_This is the man who threatened my home? _Katara wondered, hesitantly meeting Iroh's eyes. _He seems so gentle, like he couldn't do anything to harm anyone._

"And I trust you remember my nephew, Prince Zuko?" Iroh continued, the fake cheerfulness in his voice failing to mask the caution.

Time stood still. Katara knew that she couldn't ignore this direct comment and slowly lifted her head to meet Zuko's eyes. Iroh and Arisu seemed to be holding their breaths.

"Yes," Katara replied coldly. She didn't trust herself to say anything else; she wasn't sure if she would attack Zuko or burst into tears. Both seemed likely at that moment. Katara could only hold Zuko's steely golden eyes for a few moments before she had to look away. The lack of expression in his eyes only reminded Katara of what a monster he was and what he had done. As Katara's gaze fell to the tiled floor, Zuko muttered a welcome that they both knew he did not mean. Katara clenched her teeth together to stop herself from saying something she might regret, and was relieved when the moment passed and Iroh began to talk again.

"Please do not take offence if I do not ask you to join us for dinner, Lady Arisu," Iroh said apologetically. "I would like Lady Katara's first meal with us to be family members only."

Katara inwardly shuddered at the reminder that Zuko would soon be considered her family, but remained silent.

Arisu waved her hands jovially and said, "Not at all, Your Majesty. Your very presence honors me. I shall bid you all good day."

Arisu bowed to Iroh and Zuko, turned to incline her head at Katara and murmured to her, "I will see you tomorrow morning for the beginning of your lessons."

"Lessons?" Katara repeated dubiously, but Arisu was already striding halfway down the corridor. Katara watched her go, barely managing to restrain herself shouting for Arisu to come back and not leave her alone with the Firebenders. Slowly turning back around, Katara kept her eyes low and waited for someone to say something. She had never felt more uncomfortable in her life and wanted nothing more than to run and hide.

"Lunch shall be served shortly," Iroh said eventually. "May I suggest we sit down?"

As if on cue, the doors to the left of where they stood opened. Katara was mystified by this, until she realized that there were servants on the other side of the door who had been listening in and awaiting their master's command. Katara had enough grace to allow Iroh to go first, but she and Zuko stood awkwardly outside the door, each letting the other go first. After a moment, Katara moved forward and entered into the dining room without so much as a backwards glance at the Prince.

The dining room was large and spectacular, with a high ceiling and equally high windows lining the far side. Along the walls were paintings of important Fire Lords and what Katara assumed was Fire Nation scenery. A large waterfall was depicted amazingly on one of the larger paintings, and it held her focus for awhile. Then she turned her attention to the table, large enough to seat twenty people, and saw that three places had been set. One end of the table stood a chair that was magnificent in comparison to the others, and Katara knew that this would be the Fire Lord's chair. Much to her dismay, the two seats closest to Iroh's place had also been set. Of course, these two chairs were opposite to each other, meaning that Katara would have to work very hard to avoid Zuko's eyes in the following hour. With a heavy sigh that was lost in the large room, Katara slowly made her way over to the table, waited until Iroh had sat down, and then sat down herself. Sure enough, Zuko sat down two feet opposite her.

"So, Lady Katara," Iroh said when they were seated comfortably. "I trust your journey here was pleasant?"

"It was fine, thank you Sir," Katara murmured, keeping her eyes resolutely on the wooden table below her.

"And the carrier to bring you to the palace?" Iroh pressed. "Was that to your liking?"

Katara lifted her eyes to Iroh's through involuntary surprise. "You mean you arranged that? I thought it was something Ari - Lady Arisu had sent," Katara said, remembering to use Arisu's title just in time.

"Yes, that is how members of the Royal Family travel," Iroh replied with a small smile. "Did you enjoy it?"

"It was fine, I suppose," Katara said thoughtfully. "Kind of made me feel stupid for using my legs and walking all these years though."

Iroh laughed, a pleasant noise that made Katara feel somewhat comforted. She almost found herself smiling at the old man's laughter.

"Yes, I suppose it is the lazier method of transport, isn't it?" Iroh said, still laughing. "I know that Zuko, for one, doesn't use it."

"Oh, is that so?" Katara mumbled disinterestedly, her eyes flying back down to the table.

"Indeed," Iroh smiled. "But he prefers being treated like any other person, so he forsakes the special treatment."

Katara seriously doubted this, but pressed her lips together and nodded politely.

"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here, Uncle," Zuko muttered, also keeping his eyes fixed on the table. He had promised himself earlier that he would be civil to Katara, and yet he found himself avoiding her gaze like a coward. But when she had met his eyes before…Zuko almost shuddered at the memory. He had been keeping his eyes purposefully blank, but Katara's eyes were inscrutable. The bright, lively sapphires had been replaced with cold, dead melancholy. There was no intelligence in her eyes, no emotions…no hope. And Zuko knew that he was responsible for that.

The silence dragged on. Iroh seemed to have given up trying to initiate conversation, and kept sulkily quiet until their food was brought out. At the sight and smell of cooked fish, he perked up.

"This being your first dinner with us, I wanted to keep it quiet and simple. I would've requested your company for dinner, but I have a feeling that you may want to catch up on your sleep," Iroh told Katara, dodging around the various servants who were silently placing food down in front of them.

"Thank you," Katara replied, although truth be told she wasn't tired in the least. "What type of fish is this, if I may ask?"

"It's a Fire Nation speciality," Iroh told her proudly. "It may be a little spicier than you're used to, but I know that you'll come to find it delicious."

Katara smiled but looked at the fish in front of her uneasily. It had been cut into bite size squares and was sprinkled with spices. The servants had placed a large basket of bread and rolls in the middle of them all, and Katara had a feeling that she would be filling herself up with these. Still unnervingly mute, the servants positioned three tall glasses on the table, before filling them with a dark red liquid that Katara assumed was wine.

"Thank you," Iroh said when the servants had finished and began to silently file out. Katara echoed his thanks, but Zuko remained wordless. Six servants stayed in the room with jugs of wine in their hands, but they kept their heads down and made no contact with each other.

"This meal you may eat with your fingers," Iroh explained, as Katara glanced around the table doubtfully. "That's why it's fashioned in such a way. After you." He indicated the fish with a smile.

Zuko couldn't resist watching the girl now. She picked up a small piece of fish and hesitantly brought it up to her mouth. A moment after she had swallowed, she began to cough and reached hastily for her wine. After gulping it down in a most unladylike manner, she exhaled.

"Spicy," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. Zuko couldn't resist smirking. If the Waterbender thought that this was spicy, then she wouldn't like the other meals much.

"I thought it might be," Iroh said sorrowfully.

"No, no, I like it," Katara lied. "It's…different."

"You'll get used to the spices," Iroh promised, smiling at Katara's weak reassurance. "May I say, Lady Katara, that red is definitely flattering on you."

Katara smiled back and felt her cheeks blush crimson at the compliment. "Thank you, Fire Lord Iroh, but this wasn't my first choice. And please, call me Katara."

"Only if you will call me Iroh. I have never understood this need for formality amongst family. Of course, it is probably best if you address me accordingly when in public." Iroh rolled his eyes, showing what he thought of his own suggestion. "I can fully understand that red is not your…natural color. I hope the servants weren't too forceful in dressing you."

"If anything, I was the forceful one," Katara replied sheepishly.

Both Iroh and Zuko gave her a puzzled look. Zuko hoped that Katara hadn't seen his look and tried to act nonchalant.

"The servants tried to take my necklace off me," Katara explained. The moment she had said it, she inwardly winced. Necklace stealing was definitely not a safe topic of conversation.

"Ah," Iroh said understandingly.

Zuko and Katara purposefully avoided each other's eyes even more, but it didn't stop Iroh from commenting and Zuko taking a large drink of his wine.

"I see you're just as protective of your necklace now as you were when Zuko tied you to a tree," Iroh said cheerfully.

The servants along the walls shot Zuko very odd looks. Katara felt herself blushing and wanted to cradle her head in her hands in embarrassment. There was an excruciatingly long pause.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need some more wine," Zuko said, breaking the silence.

"Same here," Katara muttered, as the servants came hurrying over.

* * *

All in all, the meal could have gone much worse. Apart from Iroh's painful attempts at small talk, no one spoke. Katara tried her best to ignore her burning tongue every time she swallowed a piece of fish, but by the end of the meal, she thought her mouth would explode.

"Thank you for sharing this meal with us, Katara," Iroh said, patting his stomach and smiling contentedly.

"It was my pleasure," Katara replied, although she couldn't wait to go to her room. "Do you eat here for every meal?"

"My goodness, no," Iroh laughed. "There is a smaller room in which I eat breakfast. I would like for you to join me."

"Of course," Katara smiled, relieved that she wouldn't have to go through sitting opposite Zuko three times a day.

"Zuko doesn't normally eat breakfast, despite my complaints. He is usually training in the morning. Lady Arisu will show you where to go for breakfast with me, I'm sure. Lunch is optional; normally we are too busy for lunch, but I can inform the kitchen servants if you get hungry. Dinner is almost always shared with guests, so we eat in here."

Katara nodded, taking in this information. Eating with guests did not sound fun, despite Iroh's upbeat tone.

"Now I have important issues to attend to, so if you'll excuse me," Iroh smiled, standing up. Katara and Zuko stood up after him, both looking anywhere but straight ahead. "I shall see you in the morning, Katara."

Katara nodded and kept silent as Iroh passed her and walked out of the doors which had been opened quickly by the servants. Without a word, Katara started briskly walking away from the table. She could hear Zuko's footsteps just seconds behind her. Once she was out of the dining hall, she turned in the direction that she thought led to her room. Unfortunately, Zuko quickened his pace and cut her off. Katara had no choice but to meet his eyes with a narrowed glare of her own.

"I have nothing to say to you, Zuko," she hissed, trying to sidestep him. Zuko's wrist shot out and caught her arm, preventing her from leaving. He rapidly let go at the look she gave him, but he still didn't move.

"Katara, I'm-"

_I'm what? _Zuko wondered. _I'm sorry? I'm willing to start over if you are?_

Zuko didn't have a chance to vocalise any of these possibilities, because Katara swiftly cut across him.

"I said, _I have nothing to say to you_," Katara told him, her voice low and dangerous. Her eyes were reduced to angry slits, but she had stopped glaring at him. Instead, her head was turned slightly and her eyes were focused downwards.

Zuko was stung. So this is how it was going to be.

"I was going to say that you are to use my title when you address me," Zuko snarled. This was a blatant lie, but he had just been disrespected in a major way by this girl. He needed to get his authority back and, like Taro had said, show Katara who was in charge of whatever relationship they currently had.

"I wouldn't address you at all if I had my way, now _move_." Again, Katara tried to sidestep Zuko, but he hadn't finished.

"Starting from now, you don't get your way anymore. You are under my control, you do as I say. You're in the Fire Nation now," Zuko told her menacingly. They were alone in the hallway, even the servants had left, and his voice echoed faintly.

Katara opened her mouth to retort, but sighed and closed it again without meeting his eyes.

"That's what I thought," Zuko nodded, stepping aside and letting her pass.

Katara, sensing that she was not going to win this battle, strode past him silently. She longed to scream at him, to tell him how he had ruined her life and her family, and how much she hated him for that. But the words never came, and after awhile Katara found herself back at her room. It was a miracle that she had remembered where it was, but all gratitude to her tainted memory was lost as Katara opened the door, calmly walked over to her bed and lay down, trying to block the past two years out.

* * *

Zuko stared at Katara's retreating back. He had said all of those things about control to aggravate her, expecting her to angrily tell him where to go, and thus reassuring himself that there was still some fragment of the old Katara left in this emotionless shell. But Katara had not angrily replied. She had sighed and walked away resignedly. Zuko found himself watching the end of the corridor for awhile, wondering how badly he had broken Katara and, more importantly, if she could ever be fixed.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Wow, I actually managed to stick to my deadline :P Hey, I'm as surprised as you all are, trust me.**

**So, first Zuko/Katara interaction there. Awkward as hell, but what did you expect? :P**

**This, my longest chapter in "Sanctuary" so far, is my Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate) present to you all. Hope you enjoyed! Also, a belated birthday wish to **knd**, whose birthday was 22****nd**** December :D**

**Thank you so much to all my reviewers, you're really inspirational :D Thank you also to those of you who have favourited or story alerted this story, I appreciate it (: If any of you would like to try and get me up to 50 reviews for this chapter, I'd like that a lot (:**

**So, there's nothing left to say apart from:**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!!**

**If I don't update beforehand, then have a very happy New Year everyone!**

**- Momo**


	5. Nemo

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Oh how I wish for soothing rain, all I wish is to dream again. My loving heart, lost in the dark, for hope I'd give my everything…_

- Nemo ­_by _Nightwish

* * *

"Good morning!" Arisu trilled, throwing open Katara's bedroom door and striding to the curtains. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a rock," Katara grumbled, squinting as Arisu flung open the curtains and bright light streamed into the room. In truth, Katara had not been able to sleep all night. But when Arisu had knocked on the door, Katara quickly climbed back into bed and made it look as though she had just woken up. She didn't need Arisu's nagging about how beneficial a good night's sleep was.

"Good to hear," Arisu beamed, walking over to Katara's bed.

"You're in a good mood," Katara yawned, sitting up and stretching. She didn't add how annoying she found Arisu's perkiness.

"Indeed I am," Arisu agreed. "After all, today is the first day of your lessons in becoming Royalty. It is the exciting dawn of a new era. But first, Fire Lord Iroh informed me that you two are to have breakfast together in the mornings. We need to get you ready."

Katara didn't move. "Royalty lessons?"

"Well, yes," Arisu nodded, her smile slipping in confusion. "How else did you expect to learn the appropriate actions of the Fire Lady?"

"You know what, I'm too tired to argue right now," Katara said truthfully. Then, before Arisu could get suspicious, she elaborated, "I'm not a morning person."

"I've heard not many Waterbenders are," Arisu said thoughtfully.

"You should meet my brother," Katara laughed, letting her guard down momentarily. Fresh ripples of pain washed through her and she cleared her throat, unwilling to say anything else about the family she had been forced to leave behind. Noticing how uncomfortable the young woman was, Arisu remained silent. Katara drew back her covers and stood up.

"You're still wearing your evening dress!" Arisu gasped, horrified.

Katara raised her eyebrows at Arisu's slight overreaction and glanced down at herself.

"Yes," Katara nodded. "Well noticed."

"Did you not see the nightclothes laid out for you?" Arisu asked, looking at Katara as though the young woman had committed an unspeakable act.

"No, sorry," Katara replied, glancing around the bedroom. "After lunch I went straight to bed. I only meant to shut my eyes, but I guess I was more tired than I thought…"

"You must _never _sleep in your clothes, always change into the nightclothes that are provided," Arisu scolded. She scoured the room with her eyes, before turning to Katara sheepishly. "As it turns out, you weren't actually given any nightclothes."

"That's fine, really. I was wondering…" Katara hesitated. "What happened to my Water Tribe clothes?"

"Disposed of, probably," Arisu answered carelessly. "A few items may be still stored in your wardrobe. Now today is a somewhat casual day, so you needn't wear a dress like yesterday. However, you will be attending breakfast with the Fire Lord, so you shouldn't dress like a beggar" Arisu was talking to herself now, muttering about the best course of action where clothes were concerned.

"Tell you what," Katara said, smiling. "How about you leave me alone for half an hour while I freshen up. That way, you and all the servants can discuss what I'll wear today," _because you evidently have nothing better to do_, Katara added silently, "and then I can go and have breakfast with the Fire Lord. Sound good?" She didn't wait for Arisu to answer, just gently guided her to the door and, still smiling widely, opened it. "Okay, see you later then."

As soon as Katara had shut the door on Arisu, she leant against it and allowed her fake smile to drop. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. This was how every morning for the rest of her life would go. A force of homesickness slammed into her, so powerful that she almost staggered under the weight of it. The reasons that Katara hadn't been able to sleep last night were all to do with missing the South Pole and her family. As much as it had used to annoy her, Katara now found that she couldn't sleep without Sokka's loud snores in the next room. The biting cold had been replaced with sweltering heat and even the scent of this new room was unpleasant compared to the comfortable familiarity of her old one.

Katara purposefully rushed her bath just so she could have some alone time and explore her room a little. Carefully making sure that her towel was secure, Katara crept towards the windows. Every soft step that sank into the plush carpet felt wrong, as though she were trespassing in someone else's room. Still, it didn't stop her from looking out the large windows (trying to avoid being blinded by the sun) and seeing what was outside. To her surprise, a small stone balcony lay beyond the windows. Intrigued, Katara examined the small locks on the windows and guessed that they shouldn't be too hard to break open. But she would leave that for another time. Considering the way her luck was going, someone would hear her breaking the lock and sentence her to death for damaging the window.

Instead, Katara plodded over to the writing desk, a beautiful mahogany brown sturdy piece of furniture that came with a chair. An ornate mirror hung just above the surface, and if Katara looked hard enough into it, she could still see the girl she once was. Then a rap on the door shattered the illusion.

"It hasn't been thirty minutes yet!" Katara complained loudly. "Come on Arisu; give me a little time to myself!"

"It's Zuko," the somewhat nervous voice replied hesitantly through the door.

Katara froze. Her wide eyes stared across the room to the thick wooden door.

"I'm just about to start training and…I was wondering if you'd join me?" Zuko asked. Katara could hear how uncomfortable he was but it gave her no satisfaction. Did Zuko really expect her to say yes?

_On one hand, it gives me the chance to attack Zuko without being reprimanded…_Katara thought, then mentally slapped herself for even considering agreeing to the Prince's request. Scowling, Katara turned away from the door and tried to find something to distract herself. The large wardrobe on the other side of the room called out to her, so she decided to examine that. As Arisu had said, some of the dresses and clothes that she had brought from home hung inside, and, relieved, Katara grabbed the nearest azure top and pants and all but threw them on.

"Katara?" Zuko persisted. He sighed and Katara was willing to bet that he was rolling his eyes. "I know you're in there, you spoke to me about thirty seconds ago."

Katara narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists angrily.

"First off, I wasn't speaking to you. Secondly, I'm busy. Thirdly-"

"Is this going to on for much longer?"

"_Thirdly_," Katara continued determinedly. "I've seen enough Firebending to last me ten lifetimes, and even after that I wouldn't be thrilled at watching it again. So no. I don't want to train with you."

It was probably a good thing that Katara wasn't a Firebender; she was glowering so intensely at the bedroom door that it would've caught on fire if she possessed the skill. Rage filled every part of her body just knowing that Zuko would even dare come to her room, never mind invite her to train with him. Focusing on her breathing, Katara shut her eyes forcefully and tried to calm down. She could feel the cool water in the bathroom struggling fitfully against the bath, straining to break free and fulfil Katara's desire to smack Zuko around the face with it. Her concentration was again broken when the door clicked open. Katara whirled around, unspeakably grateful that she had put on some clothes, and felt her heart thump dramatically against her chest.

"Get out," she hissed as Zuko stepped into her room. She was outraged that Zuko would invade her privacy like this but a large part of her was also still scared of the Fire Prince.

"I'm just trying to help," Zuko growled lowly. "Just trying to be friendly."

Katara laughed bitterly to hide her fear. "Right. Like I'm falling for that."

"There's nothing to fall for," Zuko told her, thankfully not taking any more steps towards her. "No ulterior motive."

"Where've I heard that before?" Katara scowled as the bathwater in the other room slammed against the bath.

"There's no need for tricks," Zuko answered coldly. "In case you hadn't noticed, _we've already won_."

There was a pause as his words and their meaning registered with Katara. Then her fingernails dug into her palms so much that droplets of blood began to stain her skin. Her eyes went dark with fury and pain. She began to shake with the suppressed emotion and kept her head firmly downwards.

"Get out," Katara whispered again, her tone filled with disgust, rage and internal agony.

Zuko's expression softened as he watched the young woman try to control herself. His words hadn't been the wisest, he saw that now. He knew what it was like to be that lost, that much a slave to his own emotions. It wasn't the first time that Zuko felt a connection to Katara through pain, and he guessed that it wouldn't be the last. He wanted to say something, anything, to make it better. To make her better.

"Katara-"

"_I said go!_" she screamed. The bathwater crashed into the tiled ceiling and walls in the next room. Some tiles came loose with a terrible cracking sound, and smashed to the floor. Zuko looked up in alarm, before turning back to Katara and frowning. It wasn't healthy for the Water Tribe girl to bottle up her emotions; he had a feeling that this display was only part of a large knot of feelings that Katara had pushed inside. Still, there was nothing Zuko could do or say right now that would calm the girl down, so he slowly made for the door. As he reached the corridor, he glanced back. Katara stood in the center of the room, her long brunette hair falling across her face and shielding her eyes. Her shoulders were slumped and her fists were slowly unfurling. Defeat radiated from the girl.

"I think it best that you leave, Prince Zuko," murmured a voice. Zuko looked up to see Lady Arisu standing a little way along the corridor, watching him intently.

"I didn't mean to upset her this much," Zuko said, feeling that he had to apologise for hurting Katara.

"Perhaps not, but surely you can see that by just being around Lady Katara, you are causing her pain?" Arisu asked gently, gesturing for Zuko to follow her down the corridor. The two began to walk.

"I didn't expect her to be like this," Zuko admitted quietly. "She's so…empty."

"Loss affects us all differently," Arisu nodded. "What I know about Lady Katara - from what you, Fire Lord Iroh and certain history books have informed me - is that she has suffered a great deal of loss in her life."

"I know how much it hurts to lose family, but I don't understand why she's this broken, even after two years."

Arisu sighed and bit her lip. "Please try to understand that it is not just her loved ones that she has lost. Not just her home and her identity. She has lost hope too, and that is a most dangerous and precious thing to lose."

Zuko remembered briefly what Iroh had told him back when they had been refugees, about hope being the true meaning of inner strength. He and Arisu continued walking in silence for a few more minutes, until Arisu cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I pray for your forgiveness if this comment is out of line, but I believe that Lady Katara once offered you her help and friendship?"

"Something like that," Zuko muttered.

"_It has healing properties…I don't know if it would work, but…" Katara said dubiously, taking a careful step closer. Zuko closed his eyes and felt her soft, cool hand on his face._

"Again, I beg your pardon I am interfering, but her offer came just before the Avatar's fall at Ba Sing Se, did it not?" Arisu broke Zuko out of his memories with her question.

"It did," Zuko answered softly.

"Betrayal is a terrible thing," Arisu murmured.

Zuko snapped his eyes up to her and scowled. "That is none of your business."

"My deepest apologies, Prince Zuko," Arisu said quickly, bowing her head. "I did not mean to offend you."

"Go and check on Katara," Zuko told her shortly. "I don't care if she's still angry, tell her that she has mandatory breakfast to attend with my uncle."

"Of course, Your Highness," Arisu replied, pausing to bow respectfully before sweeping down the corridor.

_Idiot woman, _Zuko silently hissed as she left. _She has no idea about 'betrayal'. I betrayed no one in Ba Sing Se except for Uncle Iroh, and I have already sought his forgiveness._

Only, the more Zuko thought about Arisu's words, the more they made sense. As Zuko walked slowly towards the outside training arena, it dawned on him that Katara still felt betrayed by him.

_Katara has to learn to let things go, _Zuko decided as he entered the sandy arena. _I'll talk it out with her later.__It's a pity Prince Zuko cannot understand Lady Katara's feelings, _mused Arisu as she approached Katara's room. The door was still open, but the young woman had moved from her comatose state. _Then again, it would be easier on all of us if Katara just told Zuko how much he had hurt her and get it over with._

* * *

"Lady Katara?" Arisu called out, knocking lightly on the door. She peered inside and scanned the room quickly. There was no sight of the girl. Arisu began to panic, until a small voice replied:

"I'm in here."

Sighing with relief, Arisu entered the room and closed the door behind her. Katara's voice had come from the bathroom, so that was where Arisu cautiously walked. The door was open, but Arisu still rapped on it politely before stepping inside. Her mouth fell open in a most unladylike fashion when she saw the state of the bathroom.

The walls were dripping wet, moisture hanging off the cracked and broken tiles that enclosed the room. Fragments of red clay floated in the bath, which was still filled with water. The tiles that remained on the wall were rapidly losing their patterns as more and more pieces fell onto the floor. Katara kneeled in the middle of the debris, her matted hair covering the sides of her face as it hung limply. Her bare arms were covered in small cuts from the jagged parts of tile that had fallen on her. Her legs and feet were no better.

"Katara," Arisu breathed. Her hushed voice screamed in what had previously been silence.

"I just lost control," Katara whispered. "He made me so mad."

"He's gone now," Arisu told her in a cool, reassuring voice, although inside she was terrified. Gingerly stepping over the shards of tile and rubble on the floor, Arisu gently knelt next to Katara and touched the girl's arms softly. "Did you do this to yourself?"

"No," Katara replied quietly, shaking her head and wincing slightly at Arisu's delicate touch. "He…the things he said made me so angry that I felt the water burst. He left and I came to check on the bathroom. I thought I was alright, but then the water sort of exploded and next thing I knew it was raining tiles." She paused and looked up at Arisu. "I'm sorry I ruined the bathroom."

Arisu smiled slightly. "It's alright," she said. "But I think that you should get out of the bathroom in case any more tiles fall." Placing her hand carefully under Katara's elbow, Arisu helped the young woman to stand up.

"Please don't tell anyone about this," Katara asked, her voice soft and sad.

"I promise," Arisu nodded, before pausing doubtfully. "But I'm afraid that people will still find out. I'm going to have to call someone in to fix the tiles and I fear that they'll figure out what happened for themselves."

Katara sighed heavily as she was led out of the bathroom and guided to her bed. "I guess you think that it serves me right. I dare to question Prince Zuko's authority and I get my arms slashed open and my bathroom ruined."

"No, Lady Katara, I do not think that," Arisu replied quietly, pulling back the covers to Katara's bed and helping the young woman inside it, although she had not asked. "I cannot begin to comprehend the amount of pain and suffering you're in and I think it was wrong for Prince Zuko to antagonize you when he knew the likely outcome."

Katara watched Arisu carefully to check for any signs that the woman was lying, but saw none.

"Only, please do not tell the Fire Lord or the Prince I said that because they will not be very impressed," Arisu added evenly as she placed the covers over Katara again.

"I don't know," Katara told her, smiling. "I think that Iroh would agree with you."

"_Fire Lord_ Iroh," Arisu corrected, but she too was smiling. "Please be aware that this is only a one time occasion because I know you did not get any sleep the night before and you are upset. However, I won't allow you to skip out on your lessons everyday."

"How did you know I didn't have much sleep?" Katara asked, feeling waves of sleepiness wash over her, even though she hadn't been aware of how tired she was.

"I had children of my own," Arisu replied sadly. "So I can tell when you're lying to me."

"What happened to your children?" Katara asked, stifling a yawn.

"They died fighting in the war," Arisu answered. Katara had to strain to hear the older woman's voice.

"I'm sorry," Katara said solemnly.

"I still have a daughter, so I count my blessings," Arisu sniffed. Katara, through the haze of exhaustion, sensed that Arisu was crying and immediately felt heartless for bringing up the topic of the woman's dead children. "Besides, had my sons not died, I may never have opted to vote Fire Lord Iroh in as the new leader of the Fire Nation."

"What?" Katara asked, frowning as best she could.

"It's a tale for another time," Arisu said hastily, and Katara knew that she had revealed more than intended. "Get some sleep, and I shall check in on you later."

"Thank you," Katara whispered, to tired to press the topic anymore. "Tell Iroh I'm sorry I missed breakfast."

Arisu nodded and quietly walked out, not bothering to correct the girl on her use of the Fire Lord's first name. Once outside the room, she shut the door gently, wiped her moist eyes and headed off to the Fire Lord's rooms.

* * *

"Fire Lord Iroh?"

Iroh looked up from his seat at a small, round table to see one of his young guards standing at the door.

"Come in, Fong," Iroh replied, smiling. The guard nodded and obliged, stepping in the room and bowing.

"Lady Arisu is hear to see you, Your Majesty," Fong said, after he had finished bowing. "Something about Lady Katara and Prince Zuko."

"Oh no," Iroh muttered, his smile dropping abruptly. "This won't be good."

"Shall I show her in?" Fong asked.

"If you would," Iroh answered, forcing a polite smile through his worry. "Thank you Fong."

Fong nodded again and bowed before exiting. A moment later, Arisu walked into the room. She bowed and smiled at the Fire Lord, who smiled back.

"A man of few words, isn't he?" Arisu asked, indicating the door through which Fong stood.

"Quite," Iroh laughed. "Please, have a seat Lady Arisu."

"Thank you," Arisu replied, sitting herself opposite Iroh on a large, squashy cushion. "I'm afraid the news which brings me here isn't pleasant."

"I assumed so," Iroh said gravely. "I'm learning to dread hearing my nephew's and Katara's names in the same sentence and it is only Katara's first full day in the Fire Nation. Help yourself to some tea," he added, picking up a pot of ginseng and pouring it into his cup.

"Katara will be unable to join you for breakfast this morning," Arisu said, after pouring herself a cup of jasmine and taking a sip.

"Is she alright?" Iroh frowned.

"Prince Zuko paid her a visit earlier," Arisu replied in way of explanation.

Iroh winced, took a drink of tea and sighed. "How bad is the damage?"

"The bathroom is completely obliterated," Arisu responded, also sighing. "I found her in there, surrounded by shattered tiles and with cuts all over her body."

"Self-inflicted?" Iroh asked, his eyes wide.

Arisu shook her head and quickly swallowed her mouthful of tea. "The tiles fell on her apparently. My apologies, but I allowed her to get some rest. She didn't sleep at all last night."

"You did the right thing," Iroh assured. "I will be having words with Zuko."

The two sat in thoughtful silence. Although she had been in this room before, Arisu admired it. Iroh's assertion that bright light hurt his eyes meant that deep purple drapes permanently covered the windows, casting an interesting effect over the rest of the room, which was primarily lit up by the light of many candles. Odd little trinkets from around the world sat around the low table where Iroh and Arisu currently had tea. Suddenly, Arisu turned to Iroh seriously.

"Iroh, one old friend to another, I really do not think it wise to have brought Katara to the Fire Nation. The girl's a mess and it isn't good for her to be here."

"While I am glad that you have forsaken my title in private, I must disagree with you," Iroh replied, taking another sip of his tea.

"But Katara hates the Fire Nation enough for what it did to herself, her family and the Avatar. With all due respect, I don't think that declaring war on her homeland was the best course of action to take," Arisu pressed.

"I never intended to go to war with the Water Tribe," Iroh replied, his voice low and guilty. "But I saw no other way to convince Chief Hakoda that joining the Water Tribe and Fire Nation would stop the war."

"So you pretended to blackmail him?" Arisu asked, her eyebrows almost reaching her hairline.

"'Blackmail' is such a strong word," Iroh shrugged sheepishly. "I merely resorted to twisting the truth a little for the good of the world. We all knew that the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes were planning another invasion, and I was worried what the outcome would be. This way, no harm came to the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom will not dare attack us now that we are allied with their allies."

Arisu, having nothing to say after Iroh's revelation, took another swig of her tea until she had none left.

"I hope that I have not dishonored myself in your eyes," Iroh said worriedly after over a minute of silence.

"On the contrary, it was a good plan that has ensured the safety of the Fire Nation," Arisu replied slowly. "I'm just worried about what it will do to Katara when she finds out that she is marrying the man she hates for nothing."

"_If_ she finds out," Iroh pointed out.

"If…" Arisu mulled over the word. "If is good."

"It is," Iroh nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go and find my nephew before he gets himself Waterbended to the moon."

"An excellent plan," Arisu agreed. "I shall prepare material for Katara's first lesson."

The two friends stood up and smiled.

"My Lady," Iroh said, inclining his head.

"My Lord," Arisu replied, smiling at the reminder of how they used to greet each other when they had been younger.

She bowed briefly, showing that she was once again nothing more than a faithful servant of the Fire Lord, before leaving. She inclined her head to the unusually olive-skinned Fong as she passed, but he made no reply.

* * *

Katara felt warmer than she had done in a long time. She was cosy and secure and safe wrapped amongst these blankets. Nothing in the world could frighten her because she knew that nothing could penetrate the soft yet thick material. Then Katara opened her eyes and, after a blissful moment of ignorance, the memory of the past two days came flooding back. She groaned and closed her eyes again, wishing for the peacefulness of sleep. But of course, it wouldn't return. She knew she couldn't have been asleep for very long because the blankets were undisturbed and Katara, by nature, was a very fitful sleeper.

Katara sat up and glanced around the room, unsure at first of what had woken her up. Her eyes lazily trailed over to the window, but winced away sharply when the harsh sunlight pierced her tired eyes.

"You couldn't have drawn the curtains, Arisu?" Katara grumbled, heaving herself out of bed and stumbling over to the window.

It wasn't until Katara stepped into the light that she noticed small lines and spots of crimson over her arms. Her eyes widened as she remembered sitting in the bathroom, comatose, as the tiles fell down around her.

_That was a little stupid, _Katara concluded. _Still, I _was_ pretty angry. Zuko shouldn't have said what he said…he probably only came by to annoy me. Well, mission completed. But I should go and heal my arms; I don't want Zuko to know that he had that effect on me._

Deciding to leave the curtains for now, Katara ambled over to the mirror and gave herself the once-over. She would have to do something about her hair, but her clothes were fine. Her sapphire top was luxurious and clearly meant only for special occasions. However, her pants were a simple blue and she used to wear them for training. The contrast of posh and plain gave the outfit an overall interesting look, and Katara decided to go with it. Her top showed off her bloody arms, but she could risk the exposure just until she could access water to heal them with.

"I could go into the bathroom for water," Katara muttered to herself as she fumbled through the draws of her desk in search of a hairbrush. "Then again, the tiles that are left will be unstable…I'd probably hurt myself. More."

Finally finding the elusive brush, Katara dragged it through her hair quickly. With every movement, her arms stung unpleasantly and she couldn't wait to get them healed. She silently cursed everyone in the Fire Nation for her predicament, although she had no one to blame but herself. And Zuko.

After a few more moments, Katara deemed herself acceptable to go outside her room and hesitantly left, shutting the door quietly behind her. She stole around like a thief, furtively checking behind herself every few moments. She followed more or less the same route as Arisu had taken her yesterday, traipsing down winding corridors and climbing down a flight of stairs. The Water Tribe shoes she had randomly picked out and thrown on squeaked on the gleaming floor every few steps, making Katara flinch.

"Shut up!" she hissed at her feet after five minutes of almost non-stop squeaking.

"Talking to your shoes isn't a good sign, my dear."

Katara halted immediately and looked up sharply. An old man had just stepped out of a pair of impressive doors to her right and regarded her kindly. Katara felt herself blushing, yet laughed slightly.

"It's when they start talking back that I should worry," she replied.

The old man's eyes crinkled as he laughed. "Very good," he commended. "I am Taro, a member of the Council." He bowed somewhat as he introduced himself.

"I'm Katara…and I don't really have a title," Katara smiled awkwardly. The Council? What little she had heard of the Council, she had heard in passing so couldn't really pass judgement. Just in case, she bowed to the old man.

"Please, Lady Katara, I am the only one who should be bowing. You are, after all, the future wife of the man who will rule our great Nation."

"Tell me about it," Katara muttered, before glancing back at Taro. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find any water, do you?"

"Do you not have a personal bathroom?" Taro frowned.

"Yeah, funny story about that," Katara laughed sheepishly. "To put it bluntly: no."

"I suppose you could go into the kitchens, but it is highly inappropriate for a Lady of your stature to go anywhere near the servant quarters." Taro paused, looking lost in thought for a few moments. "What do you need the water for?"

"I had an accident," Katara mumbled, indicating her scratched arms. "I need to heal myself."  
Taro's aged golden eyes widened as he took in Katara's bare, injured arms. "I insist that I accompany you. If you must heal yourself now then the quickest source of water is the fountain outside-"

"That'll be fine," Katara interrupted. "I'm sure that the fountain is kept clean and besides, the first time I healed myself was in a river."

"A curious ability indeed," Taro murmured, looking at Katara in a new light. She smiled uncomfortably under his gaze, unsure of how to respond to his comment.

"I've found it comes in useful," was all she replied.

"I'm sure it does," Taro sighed wistfully. Then he blinked and smiled. "Forgive me for talking, we should be walking to the gardens."

"Will there be anyone else there?" Katara asked worriedly as she began to walk and keep pace with the old man.

"Doubtful," Taro replied. "The gardens are usually reserved for royalty only. Princess Azula and her friends used to play in there as children."

"Then I'm surprised that the gardens aren't a pile of smouldering ash," Katara scowled. She paused briefly and looked up at Taro. "No disrespect meant."

"None taken," Taro assured her. "I'm aware that you have every reason to dislike our Royal Family."

"More than you know," Katara whispered, shaking her head sadly.

"Time is a good healer. You must learn to let go of all your prejudices if you are to live happily with Prince Zuko."

Katara didn't reply. At first, she had liked this man. He had reminded her of Iroh. But now that he was telling her to basically forgive and forget, she found her fondness for him waning.

"How far to the gardens?" Katara asked curtly. She didn't care if Taro was a respected member of whatever, he had offended her and she would show him no respect until he had earned it.

"Not far," Taro answered with ease. "How are you finding the Fire Nation?"

"Hot."

"Yes, I suppose to someone from the South Pole, our weather is very warm," Taro chuckled. "But you'll adjust."

_I don't want to adjust, _Katara thought silently. _I want to go home._

Thankfully, she was spared from replying as they rounded a corner on the corridor they were walking along and the gardens came into sight. Katara stopped in her tracks as the beauty of the gardens struck her. Everything seemed so peaceful and filled with serenity and that was even before she had stepped on the soft emerald grass.

"I take it that you didn't expect to find such a beautiful haven in such a hideous country?" Taro asked softly, smiling at Katara's wondrous expression.

She nodded wordlessly in agreement, taking a gentle step forward off the ground and letting her feet sink into the delicate grass. The sensation of feeling grass again forcefully reminded her of the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole - yet another painful memory to quell.

"Not all of the Fire Nation is stone and metal. There are plenty of places like this too," Taro told Katara, pointing out the particularly beautiful spots in the gardens. "I will leave you in peace for now to heal yourself. I hope to see you again, Lady Katara."

Katara turned around just in time to see Taro bowing to her. She inclined her head and smiled back before walking softly over to the flowing fountain that stood gloriously nearby. The sun overhead bounced off the water in the white fountain, making it shimmer and gleam. Katara walked slowly over to the fountain and sat down against it. She took her shoes off and wriggled her toes in the grass, relishing the feel. A feeling of happy contentment began to wash over her and she smiled and closed her eyes. At times like these, her life didn't seem so bad.

"Katara?"

Katara's eyes flew open in incredulity. "Oh come _on_!" she muttered in disbelief. "Give me five minutes. That's all I ask!"

Still grumbling, she stood up and began to walk away. Ignoring Zuko calling after her, she sat down elsewhere and began to admire the scenery again. Now however, the grass seemed brittle and cold as it rubbed irritably in between her toes. The stone bench she had sat herself on was too cold and hard and even the twittering birdsong was annoying.

_He's even ruined nature for me! _Katara scowled inwardly.

"Katara!"

As Zuko came closer, Katara frowned and stood up before walking away again. Her destination this time was under a large tree by the pond. Despite her bad mood, Katara couldn't help smiling at the small animals that swam inquisitively up to her as she sat down in the shade and leant against the bark of the tree.

"Well aren't you just cute little fuzzballs?" she cooed at the babies, forgetting where she was.

"They're turtle ducks," Zuko informed her, coming up to her again.

"You know, most people would just take the hint and leave," Katara sighed. Exhaustion was beginning to seep over her again and she was in no mood to argue.

"What can I say? I'm not most people," Zuko shrugged, choosing to stand over Katara rather than sit down next to her. "Can we talk?"

Katara rolled her eyes and stood up. No way was she wasting her time talking to Zuko when it'd just turn into a fight. Besides, she was still angry with him for what he said before.

"In case my walking off wasn't enough of an indication: no," Katara answered, turning away and beginning to walk away for the third time.

"Wait!"

Zuko quickly took a hold of Katara's wrist in an attempt to stop her from leaving. As a result, her arm jerked back painfully and the sunlight sparkled on her wounds. Katara heard Zuko's sharp intake of breath and closed her eyes, damning herself for not healing her arms when she had the chance.

"What did you _do_?" Zuko asked, the shock evident in his tone. Katara turned around slowly, wishing that Zuko would just drop her wrist.

"It was an accident, I didn't mean-"

"You did this to yourself?" Zuko's accusatory eyes burned into hers.

"No!" Katara replied, feeling as if she were on trial. She tugged her shoulder back and Zuko, finally getting the message, let go of her wrist. "I…I was a little upset before and my bathroom kind of exploded."

"How can your bathroom 'kind of' explode?" Zuko asked, frowning. Then, sensing that Katara didn't want to talk about it, quickly added, "Are you okay?"

"Leave me alone and I'll be great," Katara informed him, folding her arms. This wasn't a show of defiance; it was to stop Zuko from staring at her scratches and cuts. However, her words drew Zuko's eyes from her arms to her eyes as they narrowed.

"I'm trying to be friendly, why are you being like this?" he asked, scowling.

Katara didn't know if it was the trauma of that morning, her lack of sleep or the heat, but she found herself snapping back.

"Are you serious? After what you did, I can barely look at you, let alone act like everything's fine! I can't forget the last three years as easily as you seem to have done!"

Zuko recovered from his momentarily stunned expression and began to glare at her darkly. "I'm not asking you to act like that! I know that you've been through a lot, but it's time to grow up! I'm just asking for you to be civil or, Gods forbid, friendly!"

"Then you're asking the impossible," Katara told him coldly.

The two teenagers stood there glaring at each other so intensely that Katara barely heard Arisu's frantic screech:

"Lady Katara! There you are! I have been looking all over for you!"

Katara reluctantly broke eye contact with Zuko to throw a glare over to Arisu, who was muttering angrily about something as she stormed over.

"I was going to allow you to rest after the morning you've had, but if you're well enough to go wandering about the palace then you're evidently well enough for your lessons!"

Arisu stopped and, looking flustered, slowly glanced between Zuko and Katara.

"Unless…I'm interrupting something?" she asked lightly, her voice suggesting something that was never going to happen.

"No," Katara replied icily, glaring coldly at Zuko one last time. "We're done here."

Still glowering darkly, Katara walked towards the fountains. She summoned a long stream of silvery water and wrapped it around her arms. Concentrating for a moment, she made the water glow so bright until it was white. She repeated this until there was no mark left on her body and only then did she pick up her shoes and walk off.

"Have fun at society lessons," Zuko called after her, smirking. Katara couldn't resist a parting barb:

"Go jump in the pond."

"Lady Katara, that is quite enough!" Arisu warned, but Katara was satisfied. Wearing a smirk of her own, she walked out of the gardens and into the dark corridor, Arisu hurrying frantically in her wake.

* * *

**A/N:**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!!**

**Well, 2008 is here and, oh look, it brought along a new chapter with it :P Hope you all enjoyed :D**

**What can I say to all my amazing reviewers…I asked for fifty reviews and you gave me sixty-two. How much do I love you all right now? :D Thank you so much to every single reviewer, you really made my Christmas.**

**Part of Iroh and Arisu's conversation was taken from the Disney movie "Hercules" (the "If…if is good" part). Speaking of, if any of you are still confused as to why Iroh 'threatened' the Water Tribe, then feel free to ask me (:**

**Also (this is the last thing, I promise :P) you will probably have noticed that I begin every chapter with lyrics from a song which reflects the chapter. 'Nemo', the song of this chapter, is my favourite Nightwish song (wow, good timing, it just came on my mp3 player :D) and if any of you like your metal on the symphonic side, then I totally recommend Nightwish.**

**If anyone has any suggestions for lyrics for the following chapters or that generally fit in with the story, then please tell me (:**

**Once again, Happy New Year everyone :D**

**- Momo**


	6. Lithium

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_I want to stay in love with my sorrow, but God I want to let it go. I can't hold onto me…wonder what's wrong with me? Don't want to let it lay me down this time, drown my will to fly. Here in the darkness I know myself. Can't break free until I let it go. Let me go._

Lithium _by _Evanescence

* * *

After Katara had left the gardens and walked off, her mentor had cornered her and given her a stern telling off. Katara wasn't paying attention for most of it, but got the general gist from phrases such as 'don't disrespect your fiancé' and 'can't say those things when you're Fire Lady'. She just nodded at regular intervals to make it look as though she was interested.

"I'm glad that we have got that sorted," Arisu said reproachfully after she had finished. "Let us make sure that it does not happen again."

"When Zuko learns to shut his mouth, I'll learn to shut mine," Katara agreed.

Arisu sighed, touched her temple and shook her head. "You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you Lady Katara?"

"Hmm?"

Arisu's frown deepened alarmingly.

"Arisu, calm down. I _was _listening. You told me to watch my mouth around Zuko and that I couldn't talk to him the way I do. I listened, but I don't agree. Respect is earned, not given, and he has done nothing to earn my respect."

"I understand, but the Fire Prince is given automatic respect," Arisu said, sighing at Katara's attitude.

"Not from me he isn't," Katara replied. Her expression darkened and she hissed out her next words. "I'm not exaggerating when I say that he has _ruined my life _and I am never going to forgive him."

There was a small pause following her words, in which Arisu sighed. "At least you didn't swear this time."

"Call it an improvement," Katara nodded as the mood lightened. She yawned suddenly. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Oh no," Arisu shook her head. "I meant what I said earlier. If you are awake enough to get into what I can only call slandering matches with your future husband, then you are awake enough to learn how to rule your nation."

"But… I'm sleepy!" Katara protested, pouting slightly. However, her cuteness wasn't winning over Arisu.

"Come with me, please."

Arisu began to walk off, leaving Katara scowling behind her.

"Besides, it isn't my nation I'll be ruling, it's someone else's!" Katara called after the departing figure of Arisu. "Still, I suppose it'll be interesting learning how the monarchy works."

* * *

"And this helps me rule the Fire Nation how?" Katara asked, staring dubiously down at the collection of silverware on the table below her.

"You will be attending many important dinners during your time as Fire Lady," Arisu explained, standing over Katara's shoulder. They were in a small room with only a scruffy table and mismatched chairs for company. "It is therefore important to have knowledge about which various types of cutlery are used for which dishes."

"Yeah, but…" Katara began, overwhelmed with the pointlessness of it all. "I know that I'm not to eat with my hands, I know it's impolite to refuse any dishes and I know that it's ridiculous to have four different spoons for one soup."

Arisu sighed heavily behind her and Katara scowled. It was bad enough that she was sat in a cramped, dimly lit room whilst outside it was sunny and warm, but now she had to learn how eight pieces of cutlery for one meal should be used?

"Lady Katara, there are _two _different types of spoons for the starter course. Please do not embellish."

"I wouldn't if I knew what the word meant," Katara replied sincerely.

"Embellish means to exaggerate," Arisu sighed. "It also means to decorate, but I did not say it in that context."

"Right," Katara said slowly, staring down at the shining cutlery. "Do I also have to swallow a dictionary at my coronation?"

"An extended vocabulary is important in order to impress members of the higher society, as is speaking properly and _not slouching at the dinner table_."

Katara immediately straightened up guiltily.

"That's better," Arisu said, nodding approvingly. "Now, we shall begin."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but there's no food on the table. Therefore I can't eat; therefore I can't practice my knife skills." Katara paused and glanced behind herself excitedly. "Hey, do I get to learn any weaponry expertise?"

"The Council have decided that you are able enough at Waterbending to defend yourself should anything happen." Arisu waited for a few moments before sighing. "Well, those are more my thoughts that theirs. The Council actually said that Prince Zuko will be on hand to protect you if you were attacked."

Katara snorted derisively before she could stop herself. "Are you kidding? Zuko will be the one attacking me!"

"I highly doubt that Prince Zuko will attack his future wife-"

"Maybe not, but he'll attack Katara the Waterbender," Katara cut across, raising her eyebrows. "You all seem to think that he's changed."

"You're the only one refusing to see that he has," Arisu argued gently. "What offensive acts has he to done to you in the past two days? Excluding this morning, of course."

"Excluding this morning, he hasn't done anything-"

"There, you see?"

"-_anything _in the same league as what he's done to me in the past. I give him a week," Katara finished with a look of contempt.

"I'll compromise with you," Arisu said after a moment, sounding thoroughly exasperated. "I will change the theme of the lesson today if you give Prince Zuko a chance. The next time he instigates a conversation, respond appropriately and do not throw accusations around and then proceed to storm off."

Katara stood up abruptly and turned to Arisu.

"You think you can win me over that easily?" she asked accusingly.

"How about if I cancel lessons for today and allow you every afternoon off for the next month?" Arisu asked, sounding like a haggler.

"Make it two months," Katara replied shrewdly. "And then I'll be civil towards Zuko."

"Done," Arisu sighed, rolling her eyes. "You can be quite stubborn when you wish to be."

"I know," Katara answered, grinning now that she had gotten her way. "I missed breakfast, is there any chance of getting a snack?"

"I'm afraid that you will have to wait until dinner," Arisu replied stiffly, not sounding very apologetic at all. "The servants in the kitchens are hard at work. The Admiral and his family are attending dinner tonight, which is why I wished for you to have a lesson this morning. Admiral Hai is a friend of the Fire Lord's, and it is critical that you make a good impression." Arisu sighed. "However, your politeness to the Prince is more important at this stage."

"I promise not to embarrass you at dinner," Katara smiled. "I'll keep to the appropriate topics you told me about before."

"Their wealth, their success, their greatness and how happy you are to be in the Fire Nation," Arisu agreed, nodding. "You can't go wrong."

_I probably could, _Katara inwardly sighed, but didn't say anything. Instead, she bade Arisu goodbye and quickly walked away from the dark room and into the light, breezy corridors that lead to the gardens.

* * *

"Prince Zuko, a word!" barked Iroh, striding up to his nephew.

Zuko looked up from where he had been brooding, against the large tree from where Katara had angrily walked off just moments earlier. Iroh's timing was impeccable; if left any longer then Zuko would have seriously considered going after the Waterbender. To apologise or to start another argument, he wasn't sure.

"Yes, Uncle?" Zuko asked wearily, standing up as Iroh approached. "If this is about Katara, then you're too late. I already screwed up for the second time today with her."

Iroh looked taken aback slightly at his nephew's blunt honesty, but quickly dropped his expression of surprise and replaced it with the sternness that had been there before.

"I - well, yes, I was coming to talk to you about Lady Katara. What happened?"

"I meant to, I don't know, apologise for what I said this morning or something. We exchanged words and I ended up yelling at her. Again." Zuko sighed in frustration and began to pace back and forth angrily. "Uncle, every time I try to say something to Katara, I severely mess it up. I'm not ready to start a chorus of 'you were right and I'm sorry', but she at least deserves to know that I regret what I did so she can start getting over it."

Iroh began to smile knowingly as Zuko confided in him, and once Zuko had stopped pacing, he turned to his uncle with a frown.

"I really don't think there's cause for smiling, Uncle. Didn't you just hear what I said?"

"I did," Iroh said, his smile turning into a full-blown grin. "You like her."

"What?" Zuko asked, his frown deepening.

"You like Lady Katara," Iroh repeated. "And it's obvious that you want her to return your affections because you keep seeking her out to apologise."

Zuko's frown had vanished to be replaced by a heavily sceptical look. "Just because I don't want my future wife to kill me while I sleep does not mean that I-"

"You are already talking about sharing a bed with this young woman," Iroh interrupted smugly. "I think that you may like her."

"Woah. Back up," Zuko ordered, holding up his hands defensively. "Let me clarify: I'm marrying her for the good of the world. I've hurt her so many times in the past that I think she deserves an apology from me. I don't want to apologise, far from it, but I also don't want her walking around for the rest of her life thinking that I'm some sort of monster. Besides, she could've seriously harmed herself before, and still has the capability to while her emotions and her Waterbending out of control. I think an apology might soothe that."

"Right," Iroh nodded. "Whatever you say."

He began to walk off with an infuriating smile on his face, leaving Zuko standing there dumbfounded.

"Oh, and Prince Zuko?" Iroh called back. Zuko could only look up in response. "Perseverance is the best way to get her to accept your apology, although it will take time and consideration on both parts."

Zuko nodded and watched his uncle walk away silently. After a moment, he collapsed against the tree again and slid down it until he hit the ground with a bump. On some level he knew that he must respect Katara, because otherwise he wouldn't want to apologise to her. But she made him so angry that he knew he didn't like her in the way his uncle had suggested. He didn't even like her.

_She has to make everything so personal, _Zuko thought angrily. _And even then she won't hear me out. Well the next time I see her, I'll make sure she listens._

At that moment, Katara breezed past in the corridor. She didn't glance up and Zuko didn't draw attention to himself.

_Okay, _Zuko amended. _The time after this one, I'll make sure she listens._As much as Katara hated to be anything but homicidal towards Zuko, she had to admit that afternoons off for the next two months was tempting. Besides, she only had to be civil towards Zuko when Arisu was around.

* * *

Focusing on less depressing matters, Katara turned her thoughts to lunch. It really wasn't fair to expect her to function properly without any food until dinnertime. Especially since she hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day. With this reasoning in mind, Katara had set a determined course for the kitchens. It then struck her that she had no idea where the kitchens were and she faltered slightly.

_It can't be that difficult, _she thought as she passed through the corridor that stretched past the gardens. _I'll just follow a servant until I get to the kitchens._

But of course, there were no servants to be found in the palace for over half an hour. After these thirty annoying minutes of wandering, Katara was considering giving up until she saw a young man in the unmistakable uniform of a servant exiting what must have been a bedroom, judging by the bundles of sheets he carried.

"Excuse me?" Katara called out hopefully. The young man jumped and almost dropped the bundles, but saved them just in time and turned around slowly.

"Lady Katara!" he exclaimed, bowing hurriedly.

"Yeah, hi," Katara smiled. "I was wondering if you could show me where the kitchens are, please?"

The servant looked astonished for a moment before nodding. "It would be my pleasure, Your Grace."

"Thanks," Katara replied. "But if you're already busy then I guess I could find someone else."

"Not at all, Your Highness. I would be honored to show you the kitchens."

"Okay." Katara's smile wavered slightly. She hated the formalities that came with being the future Fire Lady, but she didn't want to sound disrespectful by asking the servant to stop.

"Follow me please," the servant instructed.

He led Katara through a series of hallways and corridors that all looked the same, but got less fancy as they went. Finally, Katara couldn't mistake that they had arrived in the servants' quarters.

"So, what's your name?" Katara asked. The young man was only a couple of years older than she was, and it seemed only right to ask for his name after he had helped her.

"My name?" the servant repeated, dumbfounded. "Why would you want to know that?"

Katara quickly disguised her confused expression. "I'm sorry if it was an invasive question, I just didn't want to call you 'servant' like everyone else seems to do," Katara said apologetically, fretting that she had somehow offended the young man.

"I do not take offense," the servant said quickly. "I was just surprised. No one in the palace has asked my name before, apart from the servants, and it's a shock to know that the future Fire Lady cares that I have a name."

The disbelief and gratitude in the man's voice almost made Katara wince. It was obvious that the upper class people gave the servants in the palace little or no respect.

"My name is Ryo," the servant continued.

"I'm very glad to meet you, Ryo," Katara smiled sincerely. "And thanks for showing me the kitchens. Do you think the cooks will make me a snack even though they're busy with dinner?"

"I think we could arrange something," Ryo nodded with a smile. "Particularly since you are being so kind to me."

"I take it not many people are pleasant to you?" Katara asked as they walked.

"The Royal Family is a pleasure to work for and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve them," Ryo said carefully, no doubt repeating something he was taught should anyone ask. Katara saw the warily guarded look in his eyes and laughed.

"Please, don't put on a show for my account. I have no friendship with the Fire Nation Royal Family, and don't intend to."

"The servants are prone to gossip," Ryo said slowly, glancing sideways cautiously. "The things they say-"

"Are probably true," Katara finished off with a sigh. "The fact that I was forced into this marriage as an attempt to ally the Water Tribe and Fire Nation should tell you something."

"I meant no disrespect," Ryo said quickly.

"I didn't take any," Katara assured with a smile. "And this'll probably sound strange, but for the five minutes that I'm in the kitchen, can you just forget that I'm engaged to the Prince? I miss being treated like a human being."

After an initial wavering, Ryo laughed. "Of course, Katara."

"Thank you."

Less than two minutes later, they arrived at the kitchens. The doors were a pale wooden color and very battered and scruffy-looking. The walls surrounding them had only been decorated half-heartedly and there were certainly no paintings adorning them. It was obvious that no visitors to the palace were meant to see this part. Without hesitation, Ryo opened the door and strode in, but Katara hung back awkwardly, suddenly nervous.

"Come on, we won't bite," Ryo called back to her, laughing slightly. Feeling foolish, Katara nodded back and stepped into the kitchen. A wave of heat and delicious smells washed over her and she felt her mouth begin to water. Servants of all different ages rushed about the room, shouting orders or checking on the various steaming pans. Those that weren't cooking or supervising were carefully washing the plates and cutlery, handling them as though they were precious. Everything stopped momentarily when Katara walked in. Even the bubbling pots seamed to cease in wonderment. All faces were turned to the newly arrived future Fire Lady.

"Hi," Katara said with an uncomfortable little wave to her audience. "I was just wondering if there was any chance of a snack?"

"Of…of course, Lady Katara," a startled voice replied, breaking the agonising silence. Katara scanned the faces to see who had spoken, and locked eyes with a girl who seemed to be the same age as she was. The only difference was that this girl was heavily pregnant.

"Thanks," Katara smiled. She turned to the rest of the kitchen, still frozen in their tracks. "You can, uh, go back to your cooking now."

After an extended pause, the bustling and noise continued once more, as though someone had flipped a switch. Careful not to bump into anyone, Katara quickly moved over to the pregnant girl who had spoken.

"Thanks for that," Katara called above the noise when she had reached the girl. "The silence was becoming painful."

"It is my pleasure, Lady Katara," the girl said, bowing as best she could despite her condition.

"That's okay," Katara said quickly, holding out a hand to stop the girl from bowing. "You really don't need to bow. And if you could just call me 'Katara', that'd be great too."

The girl frowned in genuine confusion. "But how are we to show you respect if we do not use your title?"

"Respect is earned, not given," Katara said, repeating what she had told Arisu before. "Can I ask your name?"

Before the girl could answer, Ryo swooped down out of nowhere and stood behind her, enveloping her in his arms.

"This is Aika," Ryo told Katara, kissing Aika's head affectionately. "We're engaged."

"Congratulations," Katara smiled. "And hello, Aika."

"Hello Katara," Aika replied, giggling and squirming in Ryo's embrace. She turned her head and playfully swatted him around the head. "Get off, we have company. Royal company."

"I'm not royalty yet," Katara replied, struggling to keep the smile on her face now. "And I don't mind, really."

"No, Aika's right," Ryo sighed, gently letting go of his lover. "We'd get beaten if we showed this sort of affection in front of anyone who wasn't a servant. Now, Katara, what do you want to eat?"

"Do you have anything that isn't spicy?" Katara asked hopefully. Her mouth still stung slightly from lunch the previous day.

"I'm sure we can find something," Aika nodded. "Being from outside of the Fire Nation, I take it you're not used to spices?"

"Not as used I would've hoped," Katara replied. "But I'll have to get a taste for spicy foods, I suppose."

"We could always make your meals not as spicy, if you want," chimed in a passing boy. He was about eight years old, with straggly black hair and a cheeky grin. He didn't stop as he talked, but Katara called after him anyway.

"That'd be great! Thanks!"

Several of the older servants tutted as the young boy ambled by, and threw hastily apologetic looks in Katara's direction. She returned the looks with a smile to show that she didn't mind.

"We have some salted meat and some stale bread," Ryo said apologetically, holding up the food. "Not exactly fit for the Fire Lady."

Katara raised her eyebrows; she hadn't even noticed that Ryo had gone. However, she got over her initial shock and accepted the makeshift sandwich gratefully. "It's good enough for me," she said, taking a tentative bite. Succulent flavor filled her mouth and she sighed happily.

_Finally, _she thought. _Some real food._

It took Katara less than two minutes to polish off the sandwich, something which Ryo and Aika saw with amusement and fascination.

"What?" Katara asked cautiously after she had finished chewing.

"Nothing…we just didn't expect future royalty to eat with such gusto," Ryo shrugged, trying not to laugh. "Normally it takes upper class people five hours to eat because they take little nibbles every ten minutes."

"Right," Katara said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I guess that's _another_ thing that I have to learn. Did you guys know that there's eight different pieces of cutlery for one meal? I mean, what's up with that?"

Aika laughed, before grimacing and clutching her stomach. Katara turned to her, alarmed, but Aika waved her off.

"I'm okay. This little one enjoys seeing Mommy in pain," Aika assured, giving her abdomen a little pat.

"When are you due?" Katara asked, smiling at Aika's pre-natal motherliness.

"Any day now, actually," Aika answered, keeping one hand on her stomach.

"What?" Katara asked, her eyes widening. "And you're still working in the kitchens?"

"Well, yes," Aika replied, looking taken aback. "If I took the day off then someone would tell our superiors and I'd get into trouble-"

Katara was appalled, and held up a silencing hand towards Aika. She then turned to the kitchen at large and, realising that she wasn't about to command any attention amid the racket, banged her fist against the collection of pans hanging from a hook beside her.

The kitchen froze again as the clanging noise from the pans died down. All eyes were fixed on Katara.

"Listen up!" Katara shouted, although seeing as everyone's undivided attention was focused on her, it wasn't really necessary. "Miss Aika is going to take time off working here until she gives birth, and then a further week after that. Anyone who has a problem comes to see me. Okay?"

There was nodding and a murmur of general assent in the kitchens, and slowly everyone returned to work. Katara turned back to Aika proudly.

"See that? They listened," she said, grinning.

"Of course they did," Aika laughed. "They can't afford not to."

"Power is going to take a lot of getting used to," Katara mused. "Anyway, where do you sleep? You should get some rest."

Ten minutes later, after Aika bid temporary farewell to her friends and Ryo, Katara found herself in the cramped servants' quarters. About fifteen beds were squashed into the room, leaving barely enough room to walk between them. A single window illuminated the otherwise dark room. The smell, although not overpowering, was nothing like the gentle fragrance of her own room. Aika, silently watching Katara take in the room, began to step over various mattresses until she reached her bed, the one at the furthest side of the room, and sat down heavily on it.

"I'm going to have a serious talk with the Fire Lord about the servants' living conditions," Katara muttered as she joined Aika.

"It will do little good," Aika sighed, positioning herself so that her bump wasn't painful. "Fire Lord Iroh has nothing to do with the servants; such matters are left up to the servant superiors."

"Then I'll talk to them," Katara shrugged, sitting beside Aika.

"You are too kind, Lady Katara," Aika said quietly, looking down as though she were talking to her unborn baby.

"As long as I have diplomatic power, I might as well use it, right?" Katara shrugged. "Hopefully one good thing can come of all this. And, hey, enough of the 'Lady'. We're all equals."

"We're hardly that," Aika replied, shaking her head. "Not many would allow a pregnant servant to remain in service, let alone give them bed rest. For this, I am in your debt."

The seriousness in the young woman's voice made Katara feel uncomfortable, so, instead if replying appropriately, she answered jokingly, "Invite me to your wedding and we'll call it quits."

Aika laughed quietly. "It would be an honor."

The seriousness in Aika's tone had turned to sadness, and Katara put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I know it may not seem like it, but you've got a good thing going here. You've got a loving fiancé and you're about to have a baby together," Katara murmured soothingly. "You have no idea how lucky you are to have a choice."

"The baby is not Ryo's." For some reason, Aika sounded angry. "Before Fire Lord Iroh came to the throne and abolished it, I was a concubine here."

Katara's hand slipped from Aika's shoulder in shock. She had heard about such things, but had never come across them. The fact that such a sweet girl, only a year or so older than Katara herself, could be forced into sexual slavery was horrifying.

"I…I'm sorry," Katara whispered. "I didn't know."

"It's okay," Aika replied softly. "I didn't expect you to. Like I said, when Fire Lord Iroh came to the throne he brought concubine acts to an end, instead letting us work as servants in the palace. Of course, it was too little, too late in my case, but I'm glad that no one at this palace has to go through what I went through."

Aika sat in silence for a few minutes and Katara had the feeling that she was crying. Instead of pressing this, Katara kept quiet to until Aika was ready to talk again.

"I was still being used as a concubine when I met Ryo."

Katara saw, in the dim light, that Aika was smiling at the mention of her loved one.

"He accepted me immediately and it was only natural that we fell in love. A few weeks after a group of men had…used my services, I discovered that I was pregnant. Ryo was the only one I told. A pregnant concubine is of no use to anyone, and I would've been put to death if anyone had found out."

"That seems a little extreme," Katara frowned.

"Concubines come five for a bronze piece in the Fire Nation, so my death would have meant nothing to those of standing," Aika shrugged. "Luckily, I became a servant before I began to show, and now everyone assumes that the baby is Ryo's."

Katara bit her lip as a question suddenly sprang to mind. She had no right to ask it but it wouldn't leave her alone.

"The men you…were you ever offered to anyone of the Royal Family?" Katara asked hesitantly, unable to meet Aika's eyes in the dim room.

"Concubines have been offered to Prince Zuko countless times, but he has always refused," Aika answered, willing to answer Katara's unspoken question.

A momentary spark of relief ignited in Katara, although she didn't know why. It was no business of hers what the Prince did in his spare time. Nevertheless, Katara was glad.

"Get some rest," she told Aika, standing up and placing another hand on the girl's shoulder. "No matter what time of day it is, I want you to send someone to me when you go into labor. I can help you; I've helped other pregnant women before. Until then I'll make sure that someone is with you at all times."

"Thank you," Aika murmured, laying herself carefully down on the mattress. "You'll make a good Fire Lady."

Katara smiled sadly, but didn't reply. Instead, she climbed over the mattresses and walked out the door. To her surprise, Ryo was waiting in the hallway outside.

"Look after her," Katara instructed. "If she goes into childbirth, send someone to get me. I'll be in my room."

"I will," Ryo promised. "Thank you for everything."

"Thanks for the sandwich," Katara replied with a smile. "I'll see you soon."

* * *

Katara wasn't wrong. She had been resting for barely two hours when there came a set of frantic knocks on her door. Katara's eyes fluttered open, before it struck her what the knocks meant. Scrambling out of bed, Katara ran to the door and threw it open. A female servant she did not recognise stood there anxiously.

"Aika?" Katara asked sharply, before the servant could say anything. The servant nodded.

Katara's heart began to pound and she took three deep, consoling breaths before assembling her thoughts.

"Okay," she instructed the servant as they began to hurry to the servant quarters. "I'm going to need a few bowls of water and some cloths. If you have any towels, then that'd also be great. If anyone tries to stop you or asks what you're doing, tell them Lady Katara sent you. You're suspended from duties until you can get me those items and have delivered them to Aika's room. Get someone else to help. Understand?"

The servant nodded again. "I got it. There are some herbs that could help Aika with the pain, should I get them too?"

"Sure, why not?" Katara answered. She could always check the herbs out for herself and check if they'd be dangerous to either mother or child. "Thanks for your help."

"It's an honor," replied the servant, bowing swiftly and running off in another direction.

_Okay, _Katara thought worriedly as she passed through the corridor next to the gardens. _Everything's going to be fine. You've delivered babies before. This is no different from all the other times._

As she turned a corner, she slammed into someone. Barely managing to keep her balance, Katara sidestepped the person.

"Sorry," she muttered, carrying on walking swiftly off.

"Katara?"

Katara whirled around to face Zuko.

"I was wondering if we could talk?" he asked hesitantly.

"No time. Servant. Childbirth. Talk at dinner?" Katara asked. Not waiting for a response, she swiftly carried on her way.

"That's the nicest she's been to me all day," Zuko murmured, staring after her in confusion.

Katara didn't have the time or energy to waste on a cutting reply to Zuko, so she just told the truth. She'd make up for it later. The closer she got to Aika's room, the quicker she ran. As a result, when she arrived at the room, she was out of breath and breathing heavily. She wasn't the only one.

"Katara?" Aika asked, a hysterical edge to her voice. "Is that you?"

"I'm here, Aika," Katara answered, jumping over mattresses and skidding to a stop besides Aika's bed. "I told you I'd come. I don't break my promises."

"I've changed my mind, I don't want to have the baby," Aika whimpered. "It hurts too much. Can't it just stay inside of me?"

"No, honey, it can't," Katara murmured in reply, laughing a little. "It's only a few hours of pain-"

"_Agony_," Aika corrected through clenched teeth.

"But it'll all be worth it," Ryo told her, holding his lover's hand. "Be strong."

"That's easy for you to say," Aika snarled, "you aren't about to push a human out of your-"

"Okay!" Katara interrupted, holding up her hands. "Aika, I know it hurts but soon we'll have some herbs that'll make all the pain go away."

This was a lie. But at least _some _of the pain would go, and if the herbs were strong enough then Aika would be out of it anyway.

Aika's face contorted and she screamed, pressing down on her stomach.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Ryo asked frantically, staring down helplessly at Aika.

"Contractions," Katara answered. "It just means that the baby's coming."

"Is the baby coming now?" Aika asked breathlessly. Beads of sweat covered her forehead and she looked desperately at Katara for an answer.

"Well, no" Katara admitted. "It could take a few hours."

"_What?!_" Aika screeched, gripping Ryo's hand in a grasp that looked painful. "If this baby doesn't come out soon then I'll go in there and get it myself!"

"The closer together your contractions get, the nearer the baby is to arriving," Katara explained, mopping Aika's head with a spare piece of material. "Until then, we're just going to have to wait it out, I'm afraid."

"What about the dinner tonight? Some important people are attending, you can't miss it," Aika said between painful gasps.

"I'll skip it," Katara said simply.

"But-"

"You're more important," Katara told her seriously.

A few minutes later, the servant from before and two others arrived in the room, one carrying a precariously perched bundles of cloth and towels, whereas the others carefully held large bowls filled to the brim with water. As gently and swiftly as they could, they brought over the bowls and towels and settled them next to Katara.

"Thanks," Katara told them with gratitude.

Aika screamed again as another contraction ripped through her stomach.

* * *

Six long, painful hours later, Aika cradled her newborn baby boy, staring down at him in wonder.

"He's so tiny," she whispered, unable to take her eyes off him. "Look at him."

"He's beautiful," Ryo agreed softly, reaching out and touching his son's head. Biology didn't matter; this boy would always be Ryo's child.

"What are you going to call him?" Katara asked in hushed tones. After Aika's loud screaming and the baby's crying, it didn't seem right to talk in anything above a whisper.

Aika and Ryo exchanged smiles, before Aika turned her head to Katara. "Ryo and I decided that it would be an honor for you to name our baby after all you've done for us."

Katara looked from the baby boy nestled in Aika's protective arms, to the loving mother, to the proud father whose hand rested on his lover's shoulder and felt tears spring to her eyes. She didn't cry, of course, but a tumult of emotions stirred in her stomach. She barely had to think of a name.

"Kuzon," Katara whispered, her cerulean eyes shining with tears. "His name is Kuzon."

"Baby Kuzon," Aika repeated thoughtfully. She bent her head down and kissed her child's head. "Is that your name?" she cooed. "I think he likes it," she grinned to Katara.

"You should get some rest," Katara smiled. "You've had a really long day. I'll get someone to send down baby necessities. Anytime you need me, you know where to find me."

She knelt down to kiss Aika on the cheek and kiss Kuzon on the head. "Take care," she instructed quietly, before standing up straight. "I should go and get ready for dinner, Zuko will probably try to kill me if I'm late."

"The Prince wouldn't do that," Aika said, with a confused smile.

"I wish he would, I could use the Waterbending practice," Katara said jokingly, ignoring the irritating fact that Zuko even had the servants on his side.

"I'll walk you back," Ryo said, after he and Aika had finished laughing.

"No, I want you to stay here with Aika and Kuzon," Katara told him. "I'll be fine on my own."

"Then we'll see you soon," Ryo grinned, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you for everything."

"It was my pleasure," Katara replied.

"Oh, and Katara?" Aika asked quietly, so that Katara had to bend down to hear and Ryo was out of earshot. "I know that you hate Prince Zuko, but please give him a chance. He could've made my life even more unpleasant, but he respects women and left me be."

"If he respected women then I wouldn't be here in the first place," Katara replied sadly. "I'll visit you soon."

With a last round of warm goodbyes from everyone in the room, Katara departed. Thoughts of sleep teased her all the way back to her room, but she knew she couldn't indulge. While Zuko wouldn't try to kill her for missing dinner, he, Iroh and Arisu would not be very impressed and she couldn't afford their disapproval. At least, she couldn't afford Iroh and Arisu's disapproval. Her tired legs trudged down the corridors and up the stairs automatically. She was already beginning to recognise the routes to get to places, but she shuddered at the thought of calling the palace home. She was glad when she made it to her room that she had not met a certain someone along the way (the amount of times they ran into each other was beginning to get ridiculous) and pushed open the heavy door with difficulty.

To her great surprise, Arisu was sitting on the bed, evidently having been waiting awhile.

"Lady Katara, where have you been?" she screeched, standing up and flouncing over to the doorway where a weary Katara still stood.

"It's a really long story," Katara sighed. Fatigue had overcome her and she was in no mood to socialise.

"Enlighten me," Arisu answered dangerously.

Katara sighed again. "Fine. I couldn't wait until dinner so I went to the kitchens to get a snack. I met a pregnant girl and her fiancé. The girl was due to give birth any day so I told her to get some rest and call me if she went into labor. A couple of hours later she went into childbirth and that's where I've been for the past six hours. Well, five and a half. I spent a pretty long time washing my hands."

Arisu's dark eyebrows rose considerably. She evidently hadn't been expecting Katara to tell the truth.

"Can I please go to bed now?" Katara asked hopefully.

"No you may not," Arisu snapped. "You will bathe, change and attend dinner."

"But my bathroom's a tip, I have nothing to wear and I'm not hungry," Katara complained as Arisu began to shoo her towards the bathroom.

"Your bathroom has been restored, you will wear what you are told and if necessary you will force-feed yourself. This is a very important dinner and you cannot afford to miss it," Arisu informed her.

"Can't you go instead?" Katara whined, opening the bathroom door.

Her next words died in her throat as she took in the newly refurbished bathroom. It had been beautifully decorated with different shades of blue tiles. A tiled mural of the Water Tribe symbol hung magnificently above the bath. Everything that had been previously destroyed had been restored Water Tribe style and Katara gazed around the bathroom open mouthed.

"That was quick," she breathed, still in shock, as Arisu entered the bathroom behind her.

"Only the best service in the Fire Nation," Arisu replied proudly. She glanced from the décor to Katara, who still had her back to her, and, carefully looking for a reaction said, "The design idea was Prince Zuko's."

Katara spun around, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion and her eyes accusing, as though Arisu was lying.

"What? Why would he…?" She trailed off, perplexed.

"Possibly it is his way of making amends?" Arisu suggested delicately.

"If he thinks that a bathroom is all it takes for me to forgive him, then he's drastically mistaken," Katara frowned scornfully. She didn't add that she thought it a nice gesture, mainly because she didn't understand why he had done it. Why did he keep messing with her head like this? First he was telling her to obey his every command, and then he's fixing her bathroom up?

"Just get ready, Lady Katara," Arisu sighed, sounding disappointed. "You have fifteen minutes. Your servants will be waiting in your room for when you have finished."

"Okay," Katara nodded distractedly. It was really out of Zuko's character to do something so…well, _nice_ and it had Katara worried. Was he trying to persuade her to do something? Was there another part to the arranged marriage that she didn't yet know about? Or was it, just as Arisu had suggested, that Zuko was sincerely apologetic for everything he had done and wanted things to be amiable between them?

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that it took Katara a few moments to realize that Arisu had left the room. Shaking her head in annoyance and confusion, Katara quickly stripped and sank into the pre-prepared bath. As the warm liquid lapped up against her skin, she relaxed. When she was surrounded by water, nothing ever seemed so bad.

Her thoughts turned to her future. It was slowly occurring to her that she couldn't be happy as long as she carried around the hurt and pain that she had locked up for the past two years. But letting go was easier said than done and she wasn't prepared to do it yet. When would she be ready? She didn't know.

She slowly descended further down into the water until it gently splashed her nose and her breathing slowed. She shut her eyes, fully preparing to go to sleep, but a loud knock on the door interrupted her.

With a sigh, she rose from the bath and wrapped a towel around herself. Katara slowly opened the door and walked into the crowd of servants outside, waiting to make her into the model Fire Lady.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Firstly, thank you for the amazing reviews that I got last chapter. They really boosted me up (curse you insomnia!). School started up for me again today so I may find it a little harder to update every week, but I'm going to try my best (:**

**I was going to include the dinner scene in this chapter, but it was getting a little too long so it'll feature in the next chapter instead.**

**Oh, and congratulations for a friend of my family, who actually did have a baby (:**

**Have a good week everyone! :D**

**- Momo**


	7. All You Wanted

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_If you want to, I can save you. I can take you away from here. So lonely inside, so busy out there, and all you wanted was somebody who cared._

- All You Wanted _by _Michelle Branch

* * *

Katara barely move or spoke as the servants dressed her and did her hair and makeup. She couldn't summon up the energy to, and figured it would be futile anyway. Instead of a dress, she wore a skirt and top in the same crimson shades as the rest of her new clothes. The servants had wrinkled their noses at Katara's Water Tribe clothes when they thought she wasn't looking. Katara rolled her eyes but kept her lips tightly pressed together, and when the servants announced that they had done, she stood up.

"Do you like your outfit, Lady Katara?" asked one servant eagerly.

Katara stared into the mirror sadly. The outfit she wore now resembled the one she had worn when she had first come to the Fire Nation with Aang, her brother and Toph.

"It's fine," Katara answered truthfully, fingering the waistline of the skirt as she remembered the day they had first entered the Fire Nation. She couldn't have predicted how her life would turn out back then. She could barely believe it now.

"Then we must press on," Arisu announced, stepping behind Katara and making her jump slightly. "The Fire Lord, the Prince and their guests await."

"Looking forward to it," Katara grumbled sarcastically as she was led out the room by Arisu.

"You will stick to what I've told you to, yes?" Arisu asked as she and Katara walked swiftly along the corridors.

Katara glanced up in surprise to see Arisu gnawing on her lip nervously. "Of course," Katara assured.

"Good, good," Arisu muttered to herself, taking a composing deep breath. At Katara's raised eyebrow, Arisu sighed. "This is your first dinner with officials, and I am very concerned. I should've made practice more, you're not ready yet to face the Admiral and his wife…" Arisu fretted.

"Is the Admiral a cruel man?" Katara asked worriedly.

"No, far from it," Arisu shook her head, still speaking in the same anxious tone. "His wife on the other hand…"

"Please stop trailing off," Katara asked agitatedly. "It really isn't helping my nerves."

"Of course. Sorry," Arisu smiled sheepishly. "Lady Hai is somewhat…_fond _of wine. I am sure that she will not overdo her drinking in the presence of the Royal Family, but you can never be too sure."

"Lady Hai's an alcoholic, okay," Katara sighed. "That shouldn't be too difficult to work around. Anything else I should know about?"

Arisu opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, they arrived outside the dining room. Zuko stood against the wall opposite the door to the dining room, dressed up and already looking bored.

"Good evening, Prince Zuko," Arisu said, bowing as soon as she and Katara stopped walking.

"Zuko," Katara acknowledged, trying her best to smile convincingly. Whether she achieved this or not she didn't know, but Zuko's eyes snapped towards her, confused at her apparent pleasantries.

"Lady Arisu," Zuko replied, his eyes briefly straying from Katara's and then back again. "Katara."

"The Fire Lord and his guests will be along shortly; they are getting reacquainted somewhere," Zuko informed Arisu.

"Of course," Arisu answered with a polite smile. "Should I leave the two of you alone before dinner?"

_Please don't, _Katara thought frantically, throwing a pleading glance at Arisu. _Please, please don't._

However, Arisu didn't appear to be on Katara's brain frequency, since her smile widened and she bade the teenagers farewell.

"Remember what we talked about, Lady Katara," Arisu reminded before she left with a subtle flick of her eyes in Zuko's direction. Katara narrowed her own eyes dangerously, but Arisu ignored her and walked off.

After the sound of Arisu's departing footsteps went out of earshot, the corridor became awkwardly quiet. Katara had been told to be polite to Zuko, but nothing had been said about starting a conversation with him.

"What did you talk about?" Zuko asked after a moment, doing his best to sound interested. Katara looked at him questioningly and he elaborated lamely. "Arisu told you to remember what the two of you talked about."

Katara had to restrain herself from raising her eyebrows at Zuko's interest in things that didn't concern him. Still, she didn't want him thinking that she had been talking about him or paying him any attention whatsoever, so she just lied.

"Arisu is worried that I'll forget my manners during dinner," Katara answered. "She seems to think that I was raised in a swamp." She thought about what she had just said and shot Zuko a look. "Don't say anything," she warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Zuko replied, amusement twinkling in his golden eyes.

Katara rolled her eyes but didn't reply. This dinner was a disaster waiting to happen, and arguing with Zuko beforehand wouldn't help any. The awkward silence had barely had a chance to rest before Zuko interrupted it again.

"How did your day go?"

"Seriously?" Katara frowned sardonically. Who was Zuko trying to kid, honestly, by pretending he was interested in her life?

"I'm trying to make conversation," Zuko replied acidly. "Don't make it difficult."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Katara shot back, narrowing her eyes.

Zuko opened his mouth angrily to retort, but closed it again with a sigh. "Fine. You said something before about a servant in childbirth?"

"Yes," Katara told him exasperatedly. Why didn't he comprehend that she didn't want to talk? "A servant was in childbirth so I helped deliver the baby."

"You know that some of the servants are midwives, right?" Zuko asked with a poorly concealed smirk.

"No, I didn't know that," Katara replied bitingly, struggling to maintain her temper. "But even if I had, I still would've helped because it's a damn sight more interesting than sitting around doing nothing all day, like you seem to do!"

"You wouldn't know what I do because you've rejected every offer I've made to join me!" Zuko told her hotly.

"You've only made one!" Katara answered incredulously.

"Spar with me tomorrow morning!"

"Fine!" Katara spat back, glaring up at Zuko. She paused and frowned. "Wait, what?"

"Prince Zuko and Lady Katara, may I introduce you to Admiral Hai and his wife, Lady Hai," Iroh's loud, clear voice called down the corridor.

As though someone had flipped a switch, Zuko and Katara dropped their defensive postures and stood up straight. They kept their angry distance, but not enough to cause questions amongst the newly arrived guests.

Admiral Hai was a middle-aged man with a kindly face, whose eyes crinkled as he took in the teenagers and smiled.

"Prince Zuko, Lady Katara," he said, bowing to them both. "I am honored to be in your presence."

Lady Hai was a few years younger than her husband was. She looked painfully thin and her dress hung off her in all the wrong places. Nevertheless, she too smiled and repeated her husband's words. When Lady Hai smiled, Katara noticed, her cheekbones stuck out and the smile didn't quite reach her faded golden eyes.

"We are delighted to have you as our guests," Zuko replied formally. Katara, unsure of how to greet the Admiral and his wife (all of Arisu's advice having fled Katara's mind) merely smiled and nodded, hoping she didn't look too much of an idiot.

"I hope your journey over was okay," Katara said after a moment, remembering something that Iroh had asked her last night.

"It was fine thank you, Lady Katara," Admiral Hai nodded. "We do not live very far away, just in the city surrounding the palace."

"Ah," Katara said, feeling foolish.

"I hate to simply stand around in the corridor, why don't we go inside and eat?" Iroh suggested, saving Katara from embarrassment.

"An excellent idea," Admiral Hai replied, making a beeline for the door and opening it. "After the Fire Lord."

"Please, Admiral, you go ahead of me. I wish to speak to Lady Katara privately," Iroh smiled.

Both Katara and Zuko gave Iroh confused looks, but Zuko entered the dining room ahead of his guests without a word. When they were alone, Iroh turned to the puzzled Katara with a grin on his face.

"I had an interesting talk with Lady Arisu before regarding a deal you made with her," Iroh started before Katara had a chance to ask what was going on.

"I'm going to kill her," Katara muttered. She hadn't counted on Arisu informing anyone of the deal, let alone Iroh. "You're not taking it seriously, are you?"

"On the contrary, I'm going to enjoy enforcing it," Iroh replied to Katara's horror.

"You're a bad, mean man," Katara sulked after a moment.

Iroh laughed and gestured towards the dining room. "We should get inside. Remember, I'll be watching and listening to everything you say to Zuko."

Katara, grumbling inaudibly, allowed Iroh to go into the dining room first and quickly followed, taking the seat she had taken yesterday. Zuko sat opposite her, Lady Hai sat next to her and the Admiral sat opposite his wife. Five wine glasses, filled to the brim with deep red liquid, stood in front of each of the diners and Katara couldn't help but notice Lady Hai begin to itch towards her glass.

"A toast," Iroh announced suddenly. He picked up his glass and raised it. Everyone else at the table copied. "To old friends," Iroh continued, smiling at the Admiral, "and new family." His eyes flicked to Katara and, still smiling, he took a sip of his wine, followed by a slight grimace. The diners repeated his words, but Zuko and Katara only murmured them half-heartedly and barely let the crimson liquid touch their tongues.

Meaningless chatter filled up the next hour, mostly by Iroh and Admiral Hai. Katara managed to learn that Hai had been Admiral whilst Iroh had been General and their paths had crossed many times. From this, Katara gathered that Admiral Hai was actually retired, but his title was still used as a form of respect. Whenever asked a direct question by the guests, Katara would answer as truthfully and politely as she could.

"The Fire Nation must be very different from the Water Tribe," Admiral Hai said conversationally to Katara over the main course.

"Yes," Katara agreed, quickly swallowing her mouthful and nodding. "The temperature, the food, the fashion sense is all new to me."

"Not brand new?" Admiral Hai frowned. "After all, you have been to the Fire Nation before now, have you not?"

Iroh and Zuko quickly glanced towards Katara furtively to see her reaction to the Admiral's question. However, Katara ignored the pang in her chest and forced a smile to her lips.

"Yes," she replied in a carefully controlled voice. "But that time I did not have the luxury of silk clothes and spiced meat."

"I would've thought that travelling with the Avatar gave you all the luxuries you could've asked for," the Admiral sniffed disapprovingly. "After all, he was the 'saviour' we were all waiting for, was he not?" There was a note of amused derision in his voice that Katara did not like. Her eyes were fighting against narrowing and the jugs of water that the servants carried on the other side of the room began to shake.

"You'd be surprised at what reactions recognition brings you," Zuko interrupted quickly. "Whilst in the Earth King, the only respect I got was with Princess Azula."

Katara looked at Zuko, grateful but unsure of why he was gently guiding the conversation away from Aang. Okay, talking about Azula wasn't the best course, but it was probably the best he could think of on the spot. Zuko continued talking to the Admiral but glanced at Katara swiftly. When he saw she was watching him, he gave her a brief smile before turning back to his conversation. More confused than ever, Katara turned to Iroh. He gave her a smug 'I told you he wasn't so bad' look before he too joined in the conversation. Katara sighed quietly and forced another mouthful of the unidentifiable meat that served as tonight's dinner. She quickly found she had lost her appetite after filling herself up on bread rolls to prevent her from having to join in the conversation, sure she was going to mess up somehow.

"So, Lady Katara, how did your day go?" Zuko asked after a while. By this time, dessert was being served. All eyes on the table turned to her and she swallowed her mouthful heavily.

_You know how my day went, _Katara thought, trying not to make her death glares to Zuko too obvious. _You've bugged me about that already._

"It was interesting," Katara replied quickly. "How was your day?"

"Fine," Zuko replied, his eyes boring into Katara's. "But it's your first full day in the palace. Surely you have something to tell us?"

Katara furrowed her brow slightly at him, and he responded by tapping her leg lightly but forcefully under the table. Katara was about to kick him back, but something in his eyes told her to answer his question. Did he want to escape fully from the topic of the failed Day of Black Sun invasion? If so, why? Why should he care about her feelings? It wasn't like he ever had done before now.

"Well I went for a snack and came back with a baby," Katara answered, tearing her eyes away from Zuko's hypnotic golden ones.

Everyone at the table stared at her, shocked, and Katara realized what she had said and how it could be taken.

"I mean, I helped deliver a baby," Katara amended quickly, her cheeks glowing for a moment. Zuko discreetly rolled his eyes and she equally discreetly glowered at him. "One of the servants was pregnant and she went into labor so I helped."

"Lady Arisu did not inform me of this," Iroh said slowly, evidently surprised.

"Lady Arisu found out about thirty minutes ago when she demanded to know where I was for six hours," Katara shrugged apologetically.

"You shouldn't have been anywhere near the servants' quarters in the first place," Zuko frowned disapprovingly. "You're supposed to be learning to act like the future Fire Lady, not off with the servants."

Katara stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious? What was with this sudden change of tune?

"But…it's probably a good thing that you were," Zuko revised after a moment. "Well done."

"…Thank you?" Katara tried, still astonished at Zuko's unpredictable attitude.

"It'll be good practice for when you start having children of your own," Lady Hai said positively. "I expect that heirs will come soon after the marriage."

_Alright, how much has she had to drink? _Katara thought sceptically. Then Lady Hai's words sank in and Katara's eyes widened alarmingly.

"I hadn't really thought about it," Katara stuttered, fixing her horrified eyes downwards.

Zuko however handled the situation with flowing ease. "What Lady Katara means to say is that we haven't discussed it yet."

Katara's eyes flew up sharply to Zuko's, but he didn't meet her startled stare. Had she been able to think of anything other that '_what?!_' then Katara would've entertained the suspicion that it amused Zuko to see Katara so discomfited. What she didn't know, however, was that Iroh found the whole thing somewhat hilarious and was watching eagerly.

"But you intend on discussing it soon?" Admiral Hai asked Katara, watching her closely.

"Apparently so," Katara replied with shock and distaste, still staring at Zuko. Zuko glanced up and met her accusing eyes with a self-satisfied smile.

"Don't worry about it, Lady Katara," Lady Hai whispered conspiratorially, leaning in closer to Katara and breathing in her ear. The woman's breath stank of wine and it was all Katara could do to not wince away. Lady Hai's 'whispering' voice was still disconcertingly perfectly audible to the rest of the table, who could hear every word she was saying. "It'll hurt on your wedding night and you'll most likely bleed a little," Lady Hai continued in a loud whisper. "Then of course there's the childbirth which is agonising, but after that you can really begin to enjoy-"

_Oh my Gods! _Katara thought frantically as the woman rambled on drunkenly. _Stop talking!_

"Penguins!" Katara blurted out, interrupting Lady Hai mid-flow. All eyes turned to her and she smiled sheepishly. "There aren't any penguins here. How about that."

Katara, her face slowly becoming more and more red, turned her head away from the eyes staring at her and carefully examined the table. She felt a gentle nudge under the table and looked up. Zuko was smirking and her, and when he saw he had her attention, mouthed '_penguins?_'. Katara narrowed her eyes at him dangerously and focused on the water jugs at the far end of the table. They began to quiver, and Zuko dropped his smirk. Feeling victorious, Katara smiled smugly and raised her eyebrows at Zuko. He looked unimpressed, and began to stare fixatedly at the same water jugs that Katara had just looked at. After a moment, steam began to rise from each of the jugs. A few seconds later Zuko broke his concentration and turned back to Katara, the smirk fully back onto his face.

_This is pathetic, _Katara thought with a roll of her eyes that she made sure Zuko saw. _I am not going to try to out-bend Zuko at the dinner table. As much as he might protest that he's changed, he hasn't. This is just one more stupid thing to undermine me._

Katara leant back in her chair and refused to meet Zuko's eyes. She glared sullenly down at the table, suddenly very irritated. Beside her, Lady Hai was twittering on about someone named Yanlin to her husband, who looked pained to say the least. Without warning, Lady Hai turned to Katara.

"Have I told you about my son Yanlin?" she asked, slurring her words.

Katara shook her head, to which Lady Hai promptly produced a small, framed portrait of a young man with a topknot and a discreet smile.

"He's very handsome," Katara smiled, humoring the woman. The table became very quiet and Katara looked around, nonplussed and wondering what she had said wrong this time.

"Fire Lord, Lady Katara has had a long and stressful day. Perhaps you will grant her pardon from the remainder of this meal?" Zuko asked, turning to his uncle and completely blanking Katara.

"Of course," Iroh nodded. "Lady Katara, providing that your bathroom does not explode again-" both he and Katara shot Zuko very dirty looks at this point "can I rely on your company for breakfast?"

"You can," Katara answered with a smile. As she stood up, the rest of the table copied her movement. Flummoxed slightly, Katara managed to retain her smile and turned to Admiral and Lady Hai.

"It has been a pleasure meeting you both. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"May the Gods shine on your marriage and children," Admiral Hai replied with a deep bow.

_Stop focusing on the children that I don't have! _Katara thought tetchily, but kept her mouth shut and forced a polite smile. With a swift bow to Iroh, Katara swept out of the room, glad for an excuse to leave. While she was undoubtedly tired, she didn't fancy having to spend the next hour evading Lady Hai's embarrassing comments and questions either. Gently closing the door to the dining room and acknowledging the guards standing outside it, Katara began to make her way down the darkened corridor, which was illuminated only by the occasional flaming torch. She hadn't walked twenty paces before she heard a soft snap before her and sighed heavily.

"Why are you here?" she asked wearily to Zuko.

"I'm making sure you don't get lost," Zuko replied, catching up to her and matching her pace. Their footsteps echoed ghostly down the dim corridor and Katara had to admit that the palace was spooky at night. Still, that didn't mean that she wanted _Zuko _of all people to accompany her back to her room.

"I'm fine," Katara told him shortly, in no mood to hold a conversation. "Go back to the dining room."

"It's no fun now you've left," Zuko replied. Katara could hear the smirk in his voice and clenched her fists. "I mean, seriously," Zuko continued, unaware of Katara's anger, "penguins?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I was just too thrown by the idea of having children with _you_ and raising them as Fire Nation citizens to think of a better answer," Katara told him, her voice dripping with acidic sarcasm. "My mistake, I'll know better next time."

"There'll be a next time?" Zuko asked lightly.

"Of course there will," Katara spat. "You just love to see me make a fool out of myself so much that it's inevitable I'll mess up somewhere."

"Well it's nice to see you taking my feelings into consideration."

Katara could not remember ever wanting to hurt Zuko more than she did right now. Even after the Day of Black Sun invasion. He was openly mocking her. It was probably him who suggested Katara for a wife in the first place, just so he could spend the rest of his life making hers hell.

"It wasn't up to me who I married," Zuko said suddenly with a deep frown that was visible even in the shadowy corridor. He had stopped walking but Katara, lost in her thoughts, had continued. She too stopped after a moment though, and stared back at him. It took her a moment to realise that she had voiced her thoughts out loud. "And even if it was, I wouldn't have chosen you," Zuko continued, meeting her eyes with an odd expression on his face.

"Why?" Katara hissed. "Because I'm just some Water Tribe peasant?"

"No," Zuko replied quietly, looking away. "Because you've been through enough already."

Katara frowned at him through the darkness, confusion crashing over her. Was this why he had accompanied her? To mock her and give her confusing messages? She could do without.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?"

Her voice had meant to be strong and ridiculing. Instead, it came out weak and pathetic. The eyes of strong figures in Fire Nation history stared down at her from the walls, their portraits regarding her haughtily. The flickering flame on the wall shadowed Zuko's features, but Katara could just make out the same doubt and confusion on his face that she knew was reflected on hers. An angry stab punctured her stomach and she scowled. Whatever Zuko thought he felt was nothing along the same lines as what she was going through, and she was furious at herself for momentarily associating her feelings with his. His lack of feelings was the reason that she was here in the first place and, with this in mind, turned on her heel heatedly and began to walk off.

_Dammit, _Zuko thought frustrated. _See, this is what happens when I try to tell anyone - mainly girls - what I think or feel. It's never once ended well for me…I should probably take the hint and just stop._

Of course, Zuko had never been one for taking a hint and, after a swift moment of deliberation, began to run after the stubborn Waterbender. To his relief, Katara resignedly let him walk beside her and didn't try to argue or attack him. This both pleased and worried the Prince. The Katara he had once known was so different from the one he knew now.

"Don't forget you said you'd spar with me tomorrow morning," Zuko reminded her after two agonising minutes of walking in silence.

"If you think I'm turning up for that then you're wrong," Katara answered softly.

"Why not?" Zuko asked. He had of course expected this, but it made for the least awkward conversation he could get out of Katara so it would have to do.

"Because I don't think I'll be able to spar with you without trying to kill you," Katara answered truthfully.

"What's the matter, don't trust yourself?" Zuko asked flippantly, under the misguided impression that she was joking.

"No," Katara replied quietly, walking with her head bowed so that her brunette hair cascaded down her shoulders and shielded her face from view.

_And it's just gone back to awkward, _Zuko thought exasperatedly. _Still, perseverance is the key, just like Uncle said._

"You made a good impression on the Admiral and his wife," he said after a few moments.

"Was that impression made before or after the Admiral insulted my friend and his wife drank too much wine?" Katara asked sceptically.

"I'd say before," Zuko replied contemplatively. "Still, when a woman drinks that much she'll probably like anyone."

Katara couldn't help but hold back a smile at this one, much to her horror. She hated Zuko more than she had ever hated anyone else, her negative feelings for him ran deeper than anything she had ever felt before…and yet here he was making her laugh.

"You handled her well, by the way," Zuko said. He had sensed a sudden shift in Katara's mood and knew that he had to tread carefully. "I've met Lady Hai before and you're the only one so far who's treated her with tact."

"Years of growing up with my brother taught me how to be tactful," Katara replied, before wincing about mentioning her life outside the palace.

"Your brother…Sokka, right?" Zuko asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Katara answered shortly, unwilling to talk about her family to Zuko. "Who is Yanlin?"

"Admiral and Lady Hai's son," Zuko replied slowly, his tone taking on a different note.

"Lady Hai was talking about him a lot, but then I guess that people ramble after about four bottles of wine. Still, she seemed proud of him which is sweet."

Zuko sighed heavily. "Yanlin Hai died in the Earth Kingdom riots two years ago."

"But…" Katara frowned, before whispering, "oh."

"Lady Hai is not a mentally stable woman, but she is high up in social terms," Zuko continued briskly. "This is the only reason her drinking is tolerated."

Katara glanced up at him, surprised by his suddenly harsh tone. "Did you know him? Yanlin, I mean."

"No," Zuko replied, his expression and tone softening. "But he was a good man."

The teenagers continued walking in silence until they had reached Katara's bedroom door. Katara was fully prepared to walk into her room and slam the door in Zuko's face, but the Fire Prince had other ideas.

"You don't have to worry about joining me in sparring tomorrow," he informed her.

"I wasn't intending to," Katara replied, raising her eyebrows. "But thanks for giving me clarification."

If Zuko registered the sarcasm in her voice, he didn't acknowledge it. "There's no reason for the lack of trust in yourself," he told her, reverting to their earlier conversation. "After all, you trusted me once-"

"And it turned out to be the worst mistake I have ever made," Katara cut across, reaching for the door handle. "Goodnight." She pressed down on the handle and opened the door.

"Don't think that you're the only one who regrets the mistakes that you've made," Zuko said before she could walk inside. "Don't you think that if I could turn back time, I would?"

"That all depends on when you'd turn back time to," Katara answered coldly, her tone slicing through the dark air. "Because if you're really sorry, or whatever the line you're feeding me is about, then you'd make sure that had you never set foot in the Southern Water Tribe."

"I can't help that you blame me for everything!" Zuko snapped back, losing his cool.

"Are you really so arrogant as to think that all my problems revolve around you?" Katara asked in disgust, although she knew for a fact that all her problems revolved around him.

"Yes," Zuko replied simply. "Because I know that you feel the need to blame someone for every little thing that goes wrong in your life and I'm that someone. It's called 'transference' Katara, and frankly it's not very healthy. You're obviously not well and I just want to help."

While Zuko repeated the last few words in his head and inwardly winced at how wrong they had come out, Katara had narrowed her eyes at his accidentally condescending tone.

"And you wonder why I can't stand you," she hissed, wrenching the door open and slamming it shut with such force that the doorframe rattled.

"Goodnight!" Zuko called angrily through the door. He was annoyed that Katara wouldn't hear him out, aggravated that he could never seem to phrase his sentence correctly and furious with himself that, despite his admittedly bad attempts at an apology, Katara still firmly believed that he was the bad guy. He took a moment to calm down, before closing his eyes and groaning softly. He didn't purposefully set out to argue with Katara, yet that was what seemed to happen each and every damn time.

"I guess it could've gone worse," Zuko muttered quietly to himself as he made his way to his room, situated only a couple of minutes away. "At least nothing exploded this time."

* * *

Katara threw herself on to her bed angrily. The soft, large mattress bounced uncertainly, before settling down under her weight.

"Idiot," Katara fumed, face down on the covers. "Arrogant, stupid _idiot_!"

Her choice of words were juvenile, but she was so angry that they were the only words that would come into her head. She took a few minutes to control her breathing before sitting up and scowling around the room. A small piece of curled up parchment caught her eye on her beside table. Her curiosity piqued, she rolled herself over closer to the table (too lazy to stand up) and snatched the parchment off it.

The thick parchment was tied up with sky blue ribbon, and Katara's heart leapt as she recognised Sokka's sprawling excuse for writing forming her name. Heart thudding, Katara all but ripped the ribbon off and excitedly unfurled the letter:

_Dear Katara,_

_As I write this, you've been gone a day. It seems longer than that. We all really miss you…especially since I can't figure out how you stew sea prunes the right way and Gran Gran won't tell me. How's the food in the palace? You probably aren't used to hot and spicy foods yet, so I hope you're drinking a lot of water. I'm writing to Toph to tell her to bring her butt over to the Southern Water Tribe and bring Appa, because I need to visit you. I know I let you down as a big brother when I let you get taken away and I want to make it right. Only, Dad doesn't exactly know about it yet and I'm still working on the finer points of the plan._

_How's our favourite Fire Prince doing? Coming down with a deadly disease, I hope._

_Whatever happens, you're my little sister, I love you and I'm always going to be here to protect you, even if I've failed so far._

_Everyone sends their love,_

_- Sokka_

_p.s - seriously, how do you make stewed sea prunes taste right? It's really hard._

Katara laughed aloud at Sokka's post-script, but re-read the letter again and sobered up. Her brother and Toph were visiting the Fire Nation? But judging by the way Sokka had described how the 'visit' would go, it sounded more like he and Toph were going to break her out of the Fire Nation and bring her home. Reaching her writing materials and a spare piece of parchment that had been left by whoever had delivered the letter into her room, Katara began to write back eagerly.

_Sokka,_

_I miss you too. I hate it here and it's only my second day in the palace. I'm told how to dress and speak and everywhere I turn Zuko's there, doing his best to drive me insane. The food is stupidly spicy and I want to come home._

With a sigh, Katara stopped writing, realising the impact of her letter. Sokka would take it as a sure sign to break her out of the Fire Nation, meaning that Iroh would definitely declare war on the Water Tribe, leading to another world war, which the Water Tribe would not fare well in. Besides, Zuko, vindictive as he was, would somehow find out about this plan and lock her in a dungeon or something to make sure she didn't escape. Taking all of this into consideration, Katara sadly screwed up her reply and reached for another piece of parchment.

_Sokka,_

_I miss you all too, but I think it best that you and Toph stay where you are for the time being. I'm settling in really well at the palace, and everyone is surprisingly nice and respectful. Even Zuko is treating me properly. Learning about the Fire Nation politics is very interesting and I'm gradually getting used to the food. I'm so busy with everything that I don't really have much time to feel homesick, although I'd love a visit from you all before my wedding day. The area around the Fire Nation palace is beautiful and I can't wait to show it to you._

_By the way, there is no 'right' way to stew sea prunes. Just do the opposite to whatever it is you're doing to make them taste 'wrong'._

_Give my love to everyone,_

_- Katara._

A pack of lies, but it was for the best. With a heavy heart, Katara put aside her letter and changed into her nightwear. Climbing into bed, it was all Katara could do to not think about how easily she could've escaped the Fire Nation.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Tonight is the only night that I won't be snowed under by coursework and homework, so I have tried my best to make this chapter work in a short amount of time. If you have any major problems with it then please tell me and I'll do my best to fix them (:**

**An enormous thank you to all my reviewers, you guys boosted me to 100 reviews and beyond! :D You can all have a cookie for that (:**

**So, are there any bets on how long it'll take Zuko to get fed up of Katara's attitude and start fighting back? :P**

**Have a good week everyone,**

**- Momo**


	8. Faint

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_It's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you for once just to hear me out. So I let go, watching you turn your back like you always do. Face away and pretend that I'm not, but I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got. I can't feel the way I did before, don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored. Hear me out now, you're gonna listen to me, like it or not._

- Faint _by _Linkin Park

* * *

"It is best not to aggravate my nephew, Katara," Iroh murmured wisely, as he sipped from his teacup. "His temper grows shorter and soon he will lash out."

"I can handle Zuko," Katara replied, rolling her eyes as she too took a drink of tea.

"I'm sure that you can, however I fear that Zuko will take out his frustrations on the servants," Iroh said, giving Katara a somewhat disapproving glance.

One month had passed since Katara had arrived in the Fire Nation, and she could recall almost every minute of it. Time had passed slowly, sometimes agonisingly so and most nights Katara had just lain awake, staring through the darkness at nothing in particular. She had learnt how to cope on little or no sleep, and if anyone had noticed her comatose appearance then they didn't say anything. Well, no one but Zuko said anything. He kept trying to convince her that he was concerned and made comments on the dark circles under her cerulean eyes and her tired appearance. Katara would usually reply with a cutting jibe and then walk off, but recently her resistance had been waning. It _had _been a month after all, and if Zuko only wanted her cooperation for his own selfish reasons then he would've given up trying to be nice and started threatening her by now. That was usually how he operated. Still, Katara just couldn't bring herself to be nice to him. She was civil to a certain extent, as instructed by Arisu, but that was as far as it went. Privately, when she didn't hate him for everything he had put her through, Katara was mildly impressed that Zuko was still persevering with her. However, the last time that Katara had shrugged off his attempt to make conversation (which had been that very morning), something had flashed through Zuko's eyes dangerously. It was gone in an instant, but Katara was sure it had been there…whatever 'it' was. But Zuko had merely gritted his teeth and sighed, before walking away.

"Zuko wouldn't hurt the servants," Katara scoffed, hiding her worried expression behind another drink of tea. Ryo, Aika and baby Kuzon had all been doing well and Katara visited them whenever she could. Aika had recovered from childbirth and had only just stopped profusely thanking Katara for her help, whereas Ryo could barely tear his adoring eyes away from Kuzon. As much as Katara loved seeing such a happy family, it also tore at her heart and she often returned from visiting the young family in a grave mood. Still, the thought of any harm coming to them caused her horror, and she had to take a deep breath to remind herself that Zuko would not take out his anger with Katara on young parents or their baby.

"Perhaps not intentionally," Iroh shrugged. "But your constant refusals to talk to him politely are certainly having their effect on him."

"If he expected me to welcome life in the Fire Nation with open arms then it is his own fault if he's disappointed," Katara said stiffly.

"I think he expected you to be a little friendlier," Iroh disagreed softly.

"Has he completely forgotten the past three years?" Katara asked incredulously. "I may be marrying him but I can't stand him."

"Time heals all wounds," Iroh said after a few moments of reflective silence.

"Time doesn't heal the dead," Katara replied quietly, looking intently into her almost-empty cup of tea.

It was warm in Iroh's quirky little room and the heat was beginning to get to Katara. Arisu was away on some sort of errand and had cancelled lessons for today, and Katara had nothing to do besides sit around and do nothing. She had been entertaining the idea of trying to get out of the palace for a few hours and visit the nearby city, but knew that Arisu would say no and Zuko would insist on accompanying her, so she had kept quiet.

"No," Iroh agreed sadly, breaking Katara out of her thoughts. "It doesn't. Which is why I think that you should give Zuko a chance. He has lost some of the people that he cares for, just like you have."

"He told me about his mother," Katara began hesitantly. "In Ba Sing Se, just before…"

"Zuko loved his mother very much," Iroh nodded, sparing Katara from having to explain when Zuko told her. "And she loved him."

Katara sighed heavily and took a last drink from her cup. The idea of Zuko loving anyone, even his mother or Iroh, was hard to accept.

"What happened to his mother?" she asked, holding the cup pensively in her hands.

"I don't know," Iroh sighed. "But she was a good woman. Before she married my brother, she inhabited the room that you currently call your own."

Katara's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Yes," Iroh replied thoughtfully. "Ozai was arranged to be married to Ursa - that's Zuko and Azula's mother - in the same way that you are arranged to marry Zuko. Only Ursa didn't kick up as much of a fuss as you are," Iroh added slyly.

"Did Ozai once try to kill her and everyone she loved?"

"Well…no."

"Right then," Katara answered smugly.

"I'm just trying to tell you that good things can come out of tragedy," Iroh pressed. "My brother and Ursa did not have the smoothest of marriages, but they were blessed with two children."

"Blessed?" Katara echoed scornfully. "Their son can't make up his mind as to whether he wants to be nice or kill people, and their daughter has psychopathic tendencies!"

"Zuko was confused at one point, but he is no longer. He has decided to be 'nice' as you put it, but you are pushing him close to snapping. I really must advise you to choose your words carefully around him from now on if you cannot be polite," Iroh said sternly, also drinking the remaining drops of his tea.

Katara didn't reply, but sat in sulky silence until another thought struck her a few moments later. "Azula…" she started. "What happened to her?"

Iroh frowned and began to gnaw on his lip, either in thoughtfulness or agitation, Katara didn't know. After taking careful time to pick up the large jug of tea, he replenished his cup and took a long draught.

"You don't have to tell me," Katara said slowly, although she had been curious of the Princess's whereabouts since she had heard of Ozai's death.

"No, no," Iroh said sadly, waving away her words. "You have as much right to know as anyone else." After a sigh, he plunged into the story. "Ozai had not been well for some time following the Avatar's - following the Day of Black Sun. He was seen by the finest medics in the Fire Nation, and when they could not figure out what was wrong, he sent for medics from the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes. When they too could not diagnose him, they were disposed of." Iroh looked away at this point, ashamed of the actions of his deceased younger brother. He sighed and carried on in a stronger voice, "Steadily, Ozai's health deteriorated, until one night his body just shut down. The next morning, he was dead."

Katara was listening with rapt attention, her eyes wide. She had imagined that Ozai had gone down fighting…to hear that he was frail and weak in his last few hours gave her a savage pleasure.

"My brother died the way he lived: surrounded by family. Yet as he took his last breath, his children looked coldly on. You see, whereas Ozai had made sure that his family were around him in life, it was for selfish reasons and selfish reasons alone, such as protection and strength. He had raised his children with cruelty, making sure that they understood that compassion, emotion, was a sign of weakness and always favored Azula, the naturally gifted child. Even so, on his deathbed his preferred child shed no tears. In the morning, after news of Ozai's death began to spread, there was quiet celebration from the servants. Indeed, when I arrived two days later-"

"Wait," Katara interrupted with a frown. "You weren't there when Ozai died?"

"I was not," Iroh confirmed.

"Then how do you know how he died? And where were you? And-"

"One question at a time," Iroh said, with a small smile. "Zuko has informed me about the last few weeks of his father's life. The moment I had heard that Ozai's health was fading, I made my way back to the palace. I was considered a traitor after the events at Ba Sing Se, and had broken my way out of the Fire Nation prison beforehand, so I wasn't sure what my reception would be like. However, I was gratefully received and it was decided that I would be the next ruler."

"Until Zuko did a bunch of things that would secure his place on the throne," Katara muttered. "Including marriage. Which, thanks again for including me in."

Iroh laughed at Katara's pout and poured her some more tea. "You'll thank me properly in a few years. I ascended the throne and made some major changes around the palace and the Fire Nation. One of my first decisions was to banish Azula. I could not have her attempting to worm her way back into politics and I feared that she would start a revolt if left in the Fire Nation."

"Where did she go?" Katara asked in a whisper.

"I do not know," Iroh replied gravely. "I gave the instruction for the navy to sail as far as they could and leave her at the nearest port."

"Wasn't that a little dangerous?" Katara frowned. "I mean, Banished Firebending Azula has got to be worse that Average Firebending Azula."

"Do you remember Ty Lee?" Iroh asked after a moment. At Katara's slow nod, he continued, "there are ways in which incapacitating a person's chi - and therefore bending - can be permanent. Ty Lee readily learned this method, unaware that we intended for her to use it on Azula. The day after she had mastered the technique, I told her that she must use it on her friend. Ty Lee may have misguided loyalty, but it is loyalty nonetheless and she originally refused."

"What changed?"

"Azula began to discuss with Ty Lee and Mai what she would do when she became Fire Lady, as she initially believed she would be. From what I gather, it involved things that Ty Lee did not agree with and she began to realize that Azula was far too dangerous to the campaign for peace to be allowed her abilities. I arranged for a powerful sleeping concoction to be poured into Azula's wine and, once Azula was unconscious, Ty Lee set to work. I imagine when Azula awoke she was not best pleased."

Katara sat in stunned silence. As much as she detested Azula, taking away a person's bending was like taking away a part of their soul. Whilst it was true that the existence of Azula's soul was questionable, Katara could not begin to imagine the feelings that the girl must be going through. Then Katara came to her senses and began to smirk. Poetic justice at its best.

"I know how I can make my marriage more bearable," she quipped after a moment.

"We are not taking Zuko's Firebending away," Iroh sighed disapprovingly, having apparently read Katara's mind.

"Damn," Katara muttered.

Iroh chuckled heartily, before his smile turned into a frown. "Forgive me, Katara, but important guests are due to arrive shortly and I must prepare things."

"Important guests?" Katara repeated. She dined with regular guests almost nightly, but it had been awhile since 'important guests' had come to the palace.

"Yes," Iroh nodded distractedly. "A family of noblemen will be joining us for tonight's dinner. They arrived this morning and are known throughout the country for their wealth, power and chauvinistic womanising, so it would be best if you treat them with civil respect."

"They sound like nice guys," Katara scowled as she rose from the table. "But if it's important then I'll be polite."

"Good," Iroh smiled, also standing. "Also, work on your attitude to Zuko."

"Will do," Katara lied, making her way out of the room.

"Lady Katara, I am serious," Iroh frowned sternly.

"I know you are, Fire Lord Iroh," Katara replied, bowing swiftly and exiting.

She acknowledged the guards standing stiffly beside the door and quickly walked down the corridor, hardly being able to wait until she was free of the stuffy palace and out into the open once more. Striding down the halls, Katara automatically smiled and nodded to every servant she passed, barely slowing down as she acknowledged them. Learning of Ozai's and Azula's fates had put her in an odd mood, as though she were truly beginning to appreciate how messed up and dangerous the Fire Nation royal family actually was. Would Zuko turn out like his father, cold and demanding? Katara doubted it, and yet a small knot of worry niggled at the back of her head that if she kept on pushing him then she would see how terrifying Zuko could be. But she couldn't just give up and forgive him, no matter how nicely he acted towards her.

_What am I supposed to do? _Katara inwardly growled, chewing on her lip agitatedly.

Knowing that she needed time to decide upon her next course of action, she headed into the gloomy entrance hall and, with only a slight hesitation, opened the heavy double doors. Darkness gave way to light as harsh sunlight streamed into the empty hall and Katara winced away from the brightness.

"Lady Katara?" a guard asked, puzzled, as he peered through the open door. He wore full Fire Nation uniform, but thankfully did not wear the skull mask.

"Yes?" Katara answered, blinking against the light.

"What are you doing, Your Highness?"

"I'm going for a walk," Katara replied as regally as she could. "I tire of the gardens, and it isn't very healthy to be cooped up inside all day, don't you agree?"

"I - of course," the guard responded, snapping back into his position outside of the door. "Enjoy your walk, my Lady."

"Thank you," Katara replied, stepping through the door and allowing the warmth to envelop her. She smiled to the guard who had addressed her, and to his companion standing on the other side of the door. Both bowed their heads until she had passed.

_At least he wasn't wearing one of those stupid mask things, _Katara thought thankfully as she began to stroll down a large path lined on either side with large trees the color of emeralds. _Still, They must be boiling hot in those uniforms. Maybe I should talk to someone about them…_

Dappled sunlight shone through the trees as Katara walked in and out of their shadows and cool shade caressed her bare arms before heat wrapped itself around her again. The light breeze pushed Katara's ankle length skirt around feebly and her blue beaded anklet rose gently with it. All in all, Katara had adapted well to the weather conditions, only complaining on the odd occasion about the searing heat and lack of rain. This said, she preferred the fresh temperature of an empty room to the vast outdoors when given the choice.

Approaching the large stone wall that ran around the palace grounds and the gate that came with it, Katara straightened up and tried to look more like the future Fire Lady who would not take no for an answer, rather than a teenage girl sneaking out. In turn, the two burly guards, each heavily clad in armor, straightened their postures and gripped their sword sheaths tighter, as though Katara was some sort of threat.

"Good afternoon, Lady Katara," one called suspiciously, as she came to a stop a few feet in front of them.

"Good afternoon," Katara replied with a small smile. "How has the day treated you so far?"

"Well," called the other guard, his carefully guarded golden eyes failing to conceal his wariness. "And yourself, my Lady?"

"It has been pleasant enough," Katara answered. "Yet it would be made better if I were to leave the palace grounds for a few hours."

The guards exchanged glances, and Katara's hopes fell.

"I'm afraid we cannot let you do that, Your Highness," the first guard told her slowly.

"There's no need to be afraid," Katara told them, her teeth gritting together through her forced smile. "Just open the gates and let me through."

"We are under orders not to do that," the second guard said. "Prince Zuko has told us to ensure that you stay inside the palace grounds."

Katara narrowed her sapphire eyes dangerously as her suspicions were confirmed. "Prince Zuko has no right to tell you such a thing," she hissed.

"Actually, he has every right," a voice said suddenly from behind her.

"If you think that I-" she began to spat, whirling round furiously before stopping as she saw that Zuko was not alone. A young man around Zuko's age stood cockily next to the Fire Prince, regarding Katara with a single raised eyebrow and a smirk to rival Zuko's. He was handsome in the full-of-himself type of way. It was he who had spoken, and Katara hated him on sight.

"Katara, this is Zhen Ye. He and his two brothers will be dining with us tonight. Zhen, this is Katara. She is my wife-to-be and future Fire Lady," Zuko lazily introduced, noticing the direction of Katara's look. In truth, it was kind of hard to miss the way Katara was glaring intensely at the newcomers.

"Lady Katara," Zhen said mockingly, with an over-exaggerated bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah," Katara replied, her voice dripping with acidic disdain. She turned her furious eyes to Zuko and ignored the young man beside him. "How dare you tell these guards not to let me out of the grounds?"

"Oh, it isn't just these guards he's told," Zhen cut in helpfully. "I'd say he's told pretty much all of them."

"What?" Katara hissed, incensed.

"It is for your own good," Zuko informed her. There was something in his tone that was different…as though he thought of her as nothing more than a chore to be completed. "Of course, I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Zhen's smirk widened and Katara flushed. _What exactly is going on here? _she thought, bewildered, as Zuko began talking to the guards behind her, completely blanking her.

"If Lady Katara causes you any trouble, you are to inform me, understood?" he asked sternly.

"Yes, Prince Zuko," the guards murmured in unison and Katara threw them both glares from over her shoulder. She had known them for less than a minute and they had already proven that they were not loyal to her. Beginning to feel uncomfortably outnumbered, Katara turned back to Zuko and the condescending idiot…although, to be fair, this could describe both of the teenage boys.

"Good. Thank you for dealing with Lady Katara, but she was just leaving to go back to her room anyway," Zuko continued, his eyes locked with those of the guards.

"I don't think so," Katara spat incredulously, confused beyond belief at Zuko's dismissal of her. "You can't just-"

"_Go_," Zuko told her coldly, finally looking at her. His eyes, like his tone, were firm and cruel. Katara stared at him for a moment, before realising that she would not win this battle. Humiliated and angry, she stormed past Zuko and Zhen without a word and started striding heatedly up the long path.

"Nice to meet you!" Zhen called after her sardonically.

It took all the self-control that Katara had to carry on walking without saying anything. She scrunched her fists up tightly, and instantly felt connected with every drop of water in the area. The knowledge that she alone could bring all these ancient, powerful trees crashing to the ground comforted her slightly. Her breathing was heavy as she reached the palace, but it had nothing to do with what she had just walked. The guards, having either predicted what had happened or just seeing the expression on her face, hurriedly opened the doors for her and she angrily passed them without a word. Unsure of where else to go in her blind rage, Katara stomped back to her bedroom.

* * *

"She's going to be a handful," Zhen smirked as he and Zuko watched Katara storm away.

"I know," Zuko muttered, turning away from the Water Tribe girl's retreating figure. Already he felt pangs of guilt begin to prod at him, and tried to stifle them. Allowing Katara to shout at him would've shown weakness in front of an important member of a leading Fire Nation family, something which would reflect badly on Zuko's abilities as future Fire Lord. Besides which, Zuko was steadily becoming angrier and angrier about Katara's constant dismissals of him and, for some inexplicable reason, he felt driven to hurt Katara. He told himself that her refusal to talk to him showed disrespect that was unacceptable if she were to marry him, but in truth it went deeper than that. These past few weeks, Zuko had been watching Katara closely. Besides from somewhat enjoying her company, he was shocked to find that he eagerly awaited the rare moments where the suffocating sadness would release her and for a few glorious seconds she would laugh. A spark of life would ignite in her sapphire eyes and her slim face would light up as her lips stretched into a smile. Then the moment would pass and Katara's sparkle would flicker and died as sorrow consumed her once more. Of course, Zuko was never the one to make her face light up in this way; he was usually the cause of it clouding over. Still, he preferred that Katara be mad at him rather than seeing the broken, haunted look in her eyes, which was part of the reason that he had so coldly spoken to her. The other, much larger reason was revenge; no one wants to be ignored, and Zuko was no exception. It seemed that Katara couldn't resist talking (well, shouting) to him when she was angry.

"Don't let it bother you," Zhen said, noticing Zuko turn away and slapping his hand on the Prince's shoulder. If anyone else had tried this, Zuko would have fried them in less time it took for them to apologise, but seeing as he was trying to keep on good terms with this young man, he simply scowled. Zhen misread his frown as annoyance at Katara, and smirked again. "Seriously, there's nothing to worry about. Give it a couple more months in the Fire Nation and she'll barely remember her name, let alone how to act out."

_That's what I'm worried about, _Zuko thought dubiously. As much as he hated the way Katara treated him, it was a part of her nature and he saw it as a challenge to win her over. Of course, she didn't have a choice in the matter; she _would _learn to like him.

"So what time's dinner?" Zhen asked, easily distracted as he patted his toned stomach.

"In a few hours," Zuko replied testily, before checking his tone and forcing a smile. "But I suppose that snacks are available if you can't wait until then."

"Nah, I'll manage," Zhen replied with a shrug. "What do you do for fun around the palace?"

"Sparring matches," Zuko lied, raising his eyebrow challengingly. "You up for it?"

"Sure," Zhen grinned. "I hope you're not a bad loser."

* * *

"Ow," Zhen muttered, rubbing his shoulder gingerly as he and Zuko made their way up to the dining hall a few hours later. "I didn't realise you took sparring that seriously, Zuko."

"To be fair, it was you crashing into the ground that hurt your shoulder, not my fire blasts," Zuko said, trying to conceal a smirk.

"I didn't 'crash into the ground'," Zhen mumbled sulkily.

"Hey, sparring is serious business in the palace," Zuko shrugged, watching Zhen and striving not to laugh. "If you can't take the heat, then move out of the fire."

"Speaking of not being able to take the heat," Zhen said suddenly in a much louder, carrying voice. "Good evening Lady Katara."

Zuko snapped his eyes up and saw Katara leaning awkwardly against the wall opposite the dining room, dressed in a flowing crimson gown. At Zhen's words, she jumped slightly and stood up straighter.

"Good evening Zhen," Katara replied evenly. She flickered her eyes to Zuko disparagingly. "Zuko."

Zuko felt anger bubbling up inside of him again and narrowed his eyes. Seeing this, Katara lowered her own eyes to the floor and kept her mouth shut.

"Have you met my brothers yet, Lady Katara?" Zhen asked, putting an unpleasant emphasis on her title.

"I'm afraid I haven't," Katara replied, silently thanking the Gods that she hadn't yet met Zhen's brothers. After all, if they were anything like Zhen, they would be rude and generally disagreeable. "But I take it they are joining us for dinner?"

"Yes," Zuko cut in with a curt nod. "The Ye family is a highly respected family within the Fire Nation and it is an honor to have them as guests. They have manners and pride…you could learn something from them, Katara."

"What they have in manners and pride, they lack in the wise choices of company that they keep, so I don't think I'll take after their examples," Katara replied acidly, glaring intensely at Zuko. Was he about to start ganging up on her again?

"You are no one to disrespect the company that other people keep," Zuko told her coldly. "If it were not for your choice in friends, you would not be here in the first place."

"Don't you dare blame me for your mistakes!" Katara snapped incredulously. "I am here because otherwise my country and my people would be under attack, and I am not about to let that lie on my conscience!"

"Have I mentioned how much I don't think that you two are going to work out as a couple?" Zhen interrupted lightly.

"It's a widespread theory."

The three teenagers looked up to see Iroh walking cheerfully down the corridor, closely followed by two men, neither looking very happy.

"Lady Katara, may I introduce you to Saburo and Mikio Ye. I see that you have already met their younger brother, Zhen," Iroh said still smiling even though there was obvious tension in the air.

"My Lady," murmured one of the newly arrived brothers, sweeping forwards, grasping a very surprised Katara's hand and bringing it swiftly to his lips. "It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, I'm sure," Katara stammered, flushing red as the other brother repeated these actions. Forgetting herself momentarily, Katara cast a look towards Zuko. He was glowering in another direction.

"Shall we dine?" Iroh asked, finally seeming to sense that all was not well.

"If it is your wish, then we shall dine, Fire Lord," one of the brothers nodded, inclining his head. "Please, after you."

"Thank you, Mikio."

The group silently filed into the large dining hall, as grand as it ever was. Mikio insisted that Katara go before him and his brothers, and Katara was instantly sceptical about why he was being so polite when his brother was so obviously against her. Then she scolded herself; just because Zhen was intent on being nasty didn't mean that his brothers were also.

In fact, throughout the meal, Mikio and Saburo were the perfect guests. They asked questions that showed that they were interested in Katara and how she was settling in, but weren't too personal. However, they didn't seem to feel the urge to stop their younger brother from discreetly insulting the future Fire Lady.

"So Lady Katara," Zhen said conversationally halfway through the main course. "Can you cook?"

"When I travelled with my friends, I sometimes cooked for them, yes," Katara answered slowly.

"And can you sew?"

"When you grow up with a brother like mine, it's worth knowing how to mend clothes."

"I see," Zhen continued, ignoring the laughter from his brothers and the Fire Lord. "Did you clean much, in the Southern Water Tribe?"

"I made sure things were tidy, but it's kind of hard to clean ice."

"You're onto a winner here, Prince Zuko," Zhen said after a moment. "She cooks, she sews, she cleans. She's the perfect wife."

Zuko smirked, but Katara felt her face heat up. Admittedly, she should've seen that coming.

"Apart from her being a Waterbender, that is."

Katara shot her eyes back upwards and scowled. "What?"

"No disrespect, my Lady. It's just that I wouldn't have thought that a Waterbending girl would ever be in a position of power in the Fire Nation," Zhen shrugged.

"I realise the irony," Katara hissed, trying and failing to keep her voice even. "I also know how painful it must be for you to have a _woman _in a higher social place than you."

"Katara, that's enough," Zuko said sharply, shooting her a warning look from opposite the table.

Katara held his eyes for a moment before narrowing them and glaring down at the table. She wondered why Iroh wasn't saying anything to stop this, but when she glanced back up, she saw he was deeply embroiled in a conversation with Mikio and Saburo. Katara's suspicions flared again and she began to wonder whether all three brothers were plotting to…do something. Katara hadn't thought that far ahead yet.

"You mustn't blame her, Zuko," Zhen shrugged, smiling at Katara in a condescending way. "She grew up in the Water Tribe after all. Hanging around with the Avatar for all that time can't have done much for her intelligence or her social skills either. I mean, look where he ended up."

_Be very careful, _Katara quietly warned as her fists clenched under the table. But Zhen was not in tune with her thoughts.

"Did I ever congratulate you for your victory on the Day of Black Sun?" he continued, subtly raising a glass to Zuko. "Congratulations on vanquishing the Avatar."

Every single drop of water in the room burst out of its container at Katara's rage. Whether it was that the servants shrieked as water drenched them or that the food was all dripping wet that had caught his attention, Iroh finally looked up just in time to see Katara slam her hand down onto the table, stand up and walk away swiftly without a word.

"She keeps doing that," Zhen noted, picking up a piece of soggy meat and examining it. "Was it something I said?"

"Prince Zuko, will you please check on Lady Katara?" Iroh asked, a mixture of weariness and surprise on his aged face.

Zuko, who had been restraining the urge to do this very thing, nodded and stood up, heading after Katara with inexplicable anger burning through his veins.

"My apologies, gentlemen," he heard his uncle murmur. "Lady Katara is very troubled…"

* * *

Katara felt closer to crying than she had all month. Partly through sadness at the mention of happier years, but mostly through frustration. She was isolated from everyone and everything she loved, yet that just wasn't enough, was it? She had to be ridiculed and insulted until she was broken and a shattered fragment of what she once was. Unsure of where she was going, Katara carried on walking for a few seconds until the burning sensation in her throat had vanished and she no longer felt the urge to cry. The hallway was dim and the flames on either side of her that softly lit up the walls flickered eerily. Yet Katara knew she must carry on walking because she had no intention of going back. Of course, she didn't rely on Zuko having different thoughts.

He was silent as he pursued her down the corridor. Her breathing was heavy, agitated, which only made her more easy to find in the near-darkness. She only heard his footsteps when he was right behind her. She didn't have time to run.

Zuko snatched up her wrist harshly and began to pull her along the corridor. After getting over the initial shock of Zuko creeping up on her, Katara began to struggle, but Zuko only held on tighter as he fumed. After a moment, Zuko stopped, flung open a door that Katara hadn't even known existed, and roughly pushed her inside. The snap of the door as Zuko slammed it shut seemed so final that Katara backed up until she walked into a hard wall.

"What in Gods' name was that?" Zuko snapped in the darkness.

"W-what?" Katara stammered, her heart thudding wildly. Whatever small room they were in was beginning to heat up at Zuko's anger, and Katara couldn't tell what emotion dominated her head right now, fear or confusion.

"Do you know how important the Ye family are?"

"No, but-"

"Then let me tell you," Zuko hissed, slowly walking forward menacingly. "The Ye brothers have just inherited a great deal of land and money from their late father." He stopped walking when he was mere inches away from her face. "They have connections with the most important people in the Fire Nation. So when you insult one of them and storm out of dinner," he continued, creating a ball of bright flames in the ball of his palm and bringing it close to Katara's head, "it does not make a very good impression."

Katara's cerulean eyes, wide with fear, reflected the harsh light of the fire as it passed agonisingly close to her face. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, a terrified noise which filled the small space. However, Zuko, all the while keeping eye contact with her, continued moving his palm up until the fire connected with something and dim light illuminated the room. As Katara looked frantically up to see what had caught fire, Zuko calmly and coldly extinguished the flames in his hand and stepped back until he was standing in front of the door. After making sure that the room wasn't going to burn down, Katara reluctantly tore her eyes away from the torch hanging precariously over their heads and looked at Zuko. Although he had moved, she remained pressed up against the wall to what seemed to be a storage closet.

"You heard what Zhen was saying," Katara said, her voice breaking through the quiet crackling of the flames. "It's not like you were doing anything, and if I hadn't left then something bad would've happened."

"I can't fight all of your battles for you, Katara," Zuko spat coldly.

"I'm not asking you to!" Katara answered defensively. "But you don't need to be the one fighting against me!"

"We will discuss this later," Zuko said in the same icy voice. "Right now you're going back because you have an apology to make."

"I am _not _apologising," Katara said vehemently, backing further into the wall as Zuko took a threatening step towards her. She accidentally knocked a shelf with her movement, and a bundle of sheets fluttered down to the ground. Rather than look at Zuko again, Katara stared at the sheets.

"I didn't even know there was a door here," she murmured, changing the topic quickly. "Let alone a supply closet. I wouldn't expect you to know where the servants hang out."

"My mother used to bring me here as a child when my father got a little out of control," Zuko said quietly before realising it. He sharply looked up to see if Katara had heard him. They way she was looking at him indicated that she had.

"Oh," she said softly. There was a long pause, which she broke with a small sigh. "Is that how you want our children to end up, Zuko?" Zuko stared at her, but Katara had lowered her eyes back to the sheets on the dusty, dark floor. "Cowering in some closet because their father can't keep a handle on his temper?"

"That won't happen." Although Zuko's voice was still quiet, it was now forceful and filled with strong assurances.

"Prove it," Katara told him, looking back up. "Don't make me go back there, don't make me apologise and don't lose your temper when I've done nothing wrong."

"Katara-"

"I'll marry you if it means saving the Water Tribe, but I refuse to bring an innocent child into a world of fear," Katara interrupted, her eyes shining with conviction.

For a whole moment, Zuko looked unsure. Then something dark flashed across his face and Katara knew that she had lost him. Katara was speaking the truth, but she had hoped that her choice of words would persuade Zuko around to her way of thinking. But Zuko saw it as a way of trickery, emotionally blackmailing him into doing what Katara wanted.

"It'll only be a world of fear for the child if you don't start acting respectfully towards myself and members of society," Zuko told her, taking another step closer. "Now come on, you need to apologise."

"No," Katara answered, shaking her head quickly.

"You'll either apologise or stay locked in here until you come to your senses," Zuko threatened.

"Fine, lock me in," Katara shrugged, calling his bluff.

_Dammit, _Zuko thought, expecting Katara's cooperation after his warning.

"That was an empty threat," he admitted. "You're going back, like it or not."

Once again, Zuko was too quick for Katara to dodge out of his way, and he swiftly grabbed her arm and began to pull her towards the door. Sick of being treated like this, Katara swung her other arm at Zuko's face, but he merely caught it with his free hand and proceeded to force Katara back to the dining room. To a stranger, it probably looked like they were doing some odd type of dance in which Katara flung herself around wildly in an attempt to free herself.

"Hold still," Zuko complained as he reached the door.

"_Get off me!_" Katara screamed, frustrated beyond belief.

Startled, Zuko dropped his hands as though Katara's arms were acid. As he stared at her, Katara tried to rid the tears that had seeped into her eyes and composed herself.

"Don't treat me like I'm some piece of meat," she said, her voice shaking like the rest of her body. "If I say I'm not going somewhere, I'm not going and you shouldn't dare try to force me."

"You think I like doing this?" Zuko frowned, surprised at how violently Katara had reacted.

"Well it involves inflicting pain and misery on others, so I'd say yeah, you do," Katara hissed, touching her arms gently where Zuko had tightly gripped them.

"If this dinner wasn't so important, do you really think I'd be chasing you down?" Zuko demanded. He and Katara both winced at his unfortunate choice of words, both briefly jerked back to the years beforehand where all Zuko had done was hunt Katara and her friends down. "I didn't mean-"

"Shut up," Katara whispered, staring forcefully down at the sheets once more so she wouldn't begin to cry. "Don't talk about that."

"It isn't healthy for you to hold onto the past like this," Zuko frowned. "This is where all your anger and pain is coming from, don't you see that?"

"You know what I _do _see?" Katara said, still glowering down at the floor. "I see you watching me in pain and doing everything you can to make it worse. In the dining room, I sat there and took Zhen's insults. You were sitting about two feet away and you were sending me stupid little looks, so I know you heard. Whatever happened to respecting women? You've changed more than I thought, and believe me, that isn't a good thing."

"You want to talk about change?" Zuko asked incredulously, reaching his limit. "The old Katara wouldn't have just sat there and took Zhen's words. She would've fought back and made him regret it! But look at you!" Zuko had begun to shout angrily now as he wildly gestured to Katara. "You have no spark, no life left in you! I'm surprised you even have the energy left to carry on breathing!"

"And whose fault is that?" Katara asked quietly, not meeting his eyes. "You made me the way I am, Zuko."

Silence descended as Katara's words sunk in. It was the first time she had openly admitted that her depression and change was all Zuko's fault, and this was not lost on Zuko. As he looked upon this empty, broken girl, his chest constricted rigidly. There was a shell in the place of a vibrant, happy young woman and he was to blame. Yet here he was, unfinished, continuing to smash away at the armor that protected her fragile heart, determined to break through. And for what? Did he want to destroy what was left, or restore her? Zuko hung in the balance, on some days tipping in favor of one option and others in the opposite direction. Even at that moment, he was unsure.

So that was why, when Katara walked past him towards the door, he held out an arm and prevented her from leaving. "I'm not finished," he told her.

"Well I am," Katara sighed, defeated. "A person can only take so much."

In that moment, Zuko had never felt more determined to win Katara's trust and friendship…possibly more, if he acted on the swirling, confusing emotions he felt. But the Ye family could ruin everything for the Royal Family if word spread about that Katara was a rogue element. Riots would break out, a coup could possibly occur and life would become very dangerous. And it was for those reasons that Zuko knew that he must begin making it up to Katara…tomorrow.

"You're going to have to take a little more," he said with a heavy sigh, hating himself for what he was about to do. "I'm taking you back to the dinner hall where you will apologise and finish your meal in silence." As he moved his hand to Katara's wrist, her shoulders slumped and her head bowed in defeat. She didn't struggle as Zuko took her wrist in his hand and began to lead her out of the storage room. Just before he shut the door, he flicked his wrist and the dying torch extinguished completely.

"You shouldn't give up so easily," Zuko murmured as he made his way back to the dining room. "You didn't used to."

"I hate you," she whispered, her cracked voice barely audible as she continued walking.

Zuko's eyes closed momentarily as her words stabbed at his chest. "I know," he replied, his voice tinged with a sadness that Katara did not hear.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I am so, so sorry that it took me this long to update! You probably don't want to hear my excuses…but just in case you do, I have a list, lol. Firstly, I had three pieces of coursework to do. Secondly, I realised that my biggest piece of coursework was partly wrong, so it took me awhile to rectify that. Thirdly, homework. You wouldn't expect the teachers to be cruel enough to give us homework **_**and **_**coursework, but they did. Fourthly, I broke my nail. Okay, this isn't really an excuse, and I hate sounding like a typical girly girl, but I've been trying really hard to grow my nails, and one just breaks on me. I wasn't/am still not very impressed XD**

**So, Zuko's having a little emotional issue (what else is new?) with his feelings for Katara…does he hate her, does he love her, does he like her or does he suspect that she's actually a cloud in disguise? A clue: I'm pretty sure it could be the last one! Please excuse my randomness, I'm tired. And the song of the chapter - 'Faint' is my favourite Linkin Park song…it's so full of energy and I always want to jump when I hear it, lol.**

**An enormous thank you to all of my amazing reviewers, who boosted me to an incredible 150 reviews for the last chapter! I am so grateful to you all (:**

**Do you want a little section at the beginning of the next chapter where Katara apologises to the Ye family? If a few people would like me to write it, then I will.**

**Have a good week and I'll update sooner next time with a chapter that you should all find...interesting (;**

**- Momo**


	9. Pain

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Trust me, and take my hand. I know that you're wounded, you know that I'm here to save you, you know I'm always here for you…I know that you'll thank me later. Pain, without love. Pain, can't get enough. Pain, I like it rough, 'cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all._

- Pain _by _Three Days Grace

* * *

Katara kept her eyes downcast as she softly walked back into the dining room. Zuko kept cautiously close to her, as though she would try to run off again or do something unpredictable. He should've known that Katara's fighting spirit, for that night anyway, had deserted her. When Katara came to a stop at the end of the table, she still didn't look up and allowed her loose hair to shield her face. She could feel all eyes burning into her and Zuko standing stiffly behind her.

"I…I apologise for my actions," she whispered.

"Speak up!" Zhen called smugly.

Katara closed her eyes desolately from behind her hair. Humiliation stabbed dully at her, but the feeling of utter defeat dominated her. When she opened her eyes again, she took a deep, quivering breath.

"I apologise for walking out at dinner," she repeated, her voice stronger and weaker at the same time. "I am tired and ill-mannered because of it. I hope that I have not lessened myself in your eyes." Katara wondered if she sounded convincing, because everything that she had just said was a complete lie. She didn't care what anyone in this room thought about her, and that especially included Zuko.

"Don't worry about it," Zhen said breezily. Katara waited for a jibe to follow and was not disappointed. "After all, you're a peasant girl. I didn't expect you to know any better."

Katara let the latest insult wash over her and was dimly surprised when she didn't feel the urge to attack Zhen.

"You can sit down now," Zuko murmured into her ear.

Once Katara had taken the walk down to her seat and sat down, she looked down solely at the plate of food in front of her. It was barely touched and would remain that way. She heard the scrape of Zuko's chair against the tiled floor and her resolve not to look up deepened.

Iroh had watched what had just happened with a discreet frown. The Ye brothers were now talking quietly amongst themselves, leaving Zuko and Katara looked down at the table. Katara was huddled over the table, her shoulders hunched close together in the typical posture of someone trying to protect themselves. From behind the curtain of her mahogany hair, Katara's eyes were dull and her mouth a thin line. Across the table, Zuko pushed the remains of his food around his plate agitatedly, his forehead creased. Every so often over the next five minutes, he would flick his eyes up towards Katara. When he saw that she had barely moved, his eyes and mouth dropped slowly down again.

_Well,_ Iroh deduced, chewing the last few mouthfuls of his dinner thoughtfully. _Zuko has obviously said something to Katara that has greatly upset her…I thought she was making progress at the palace; she was slowly starting to learn to smile again. I will ask Zuko about it later…_

Luckily Zhen, apparently satisfied with hurting Katara, said nothing more to her or about her for the remainder of the meal. Zuko also refrained from conversation, only talking when it was necessary. As a result, it was a strained few minutes until respectful servants had hurriedly taken the plates away.

"It is getting late," Mikio commented. "Perhaps we should be leaving?"

"Please, do not feel at all rushed," Iroh replied. "We have guest bedrooms if you feel that you cannot travel home."

"That is kind, Fire Lord, but quite unnecessary," Saburo said with a shake of his dark head. "We have important business deals to discuss in the morning with some traders."

"At least stay for another hour?" Iroh asked persuasively. "There are some amazing acrobats that I have hired for this evenings entertainment."

"Then who are we to say no?" Mikio said, with a tight smile.

Iroh began to stand up, followed slowly by the Ye brothers, Zuko and lastly Katara, who kept her eyes glued to the table. Iroh walked out, chatting amicably about the 'famous Fire Nation circus' to the Ye brothers, none of whom looked very interested. As Katara stepped out of the room, Zuko stood beside her silently.

"Fire Lord Iroh, I'm afraid that the sleepless nights are beginning to catch up with me," Katara said quietly, cutting off Zuko who had started to say something to her.

Iroh looked back, his expression instantly changing to one of pity and understanding. "Of course, Lady Katara. You may be excused. I will see you in the morning."

Katara bowed to everyone present, excluding Zuko, never once meeting anyone's eyes. "It has been a pleasure meeting you all," she lied.

"Likewise, Lady Katara," Saburo and Mikio murmured back. Zhen kept silent.

"Please, follow my servants," Iroh said distractedly to the brothers, indicating a newly arrived pair of male servants. With a small nod, the Ye brothers left. Zuko was torn between the departing guests and Katara, but quickly took a step in the direction that his future wife had exited.

"I do not think that wise, Prince Zuko," Iroh murmured quietly, reaching out an arm towards his nephew.

"Why not?" Zuko frowned.

"Whatever you said or did to Katara after she left dinner has had a devastating effect on her," Iroh sighed. "What exactly happened?"

"The shortened version is that we both said some things we shouldn't have done and then went back to dinner," Zuko shrugged uncomfortably.

"Right. And what is the longer version?"

"I threatened her to apologise to the Ye brothers, told her that she had no spark left and then took her wrist and forced her back to dinner," Zuko admitted, reluctant to meet his uncle's eyes.

Iroh sighed heavily, putting his hand to his temple in exasperation. "Zuko, you - and I mean this in the nicest possible way - are an idiot."

"No arguments here," Zuko muttered in reply. "But I couldn't just let the Ye family think that we have a loose cannon in the palace."

"That is true, although you could've handled the situation a little more delicately. I know that your feelings towards Katara have changed-"

"That's just it," Zuko interrupted in a strained voice. "How can you know when I'm not even sure?"

"Because Uncle Iroh knows everything," Iroh replied slyly. "Come on Zuko, I see the way you act around Katara. Every time she ignores you, your expression darkens and you walk around in a foul mood for the rest of the day. And yet you still keep trying to talk with her. On the rare times you succeed, you listen attentively to everything that the young woman has to say, find some comment to make and then amble around happily until you next see her."

Zuko raised his eyebrow as his uncle finished. "Am I really that pathetic?"

"I'm afraid that you are," Iroh replied with a grin.

"Next time I do that, hit me," Zuko instructed.

"Don't you think it best that you just leave Katara alone for a couple of days?" Iroh asked, sobering the mood instantly. "It is coming up to the anniversary of the Avatar's death-"

"That's in a month," Zuko cut in cynically.

"Yes," Iroh agreed. "And I fear that if Katara has not sorted out her issues at least a little bit by then, something disastrous will happen."

"So you think that, by talking to her, I'll send her completely over the edge?" Zuko asked sceptically.

"If you continue 'talking' to her in the way in which you have done tonight, then yes," Iroh answered seriously.

"Fine," Zuko sighed after a moment. "I'll cool it down for a few days."

"That's all I ask," Iroh smiled.

"No it isn't," Zuko scoffed. "You ask more than you should be allowed to."

"I'm the Fire Lord, I make my own rules," Iroh grinned.

* * *

Barely remembering how she had gotten there, Katara wearily opened her door, entered her room and then closed it with a soft snap. Every bone in her body ached from weariness and defeat, yet when she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, sleep would not embrace her. Her mind was whirring too fast, unsure of what to think about. Katara wouldn't let herself think of anything that could be remotely painful, which pretty much ruled out everything she had lived in the past five years. She tried to remember times with her family, her biological family, back in the South Pole. Memories that were supposed to be funny, like Sokka doing something unbelievably stupid, only brought the sharp jabs of pain and loss back. From beneath her eyelids, unwanted images began to flicker, first faintly and then all too strongly. Katara clutched at her head, digging her nails into her hair and screwed her eyes shut tightly.

_PainFireLightningCrashingBleedingDying_

The images and sounds wouldn't stop. Agonised, Katara scrambled out of her bed and flung the door open. Running down the corridor, the pictures and noises slowly subsided. Katara focused on nothing but finding a place to Waterbend. If she had something to occupy her, she didn't have to think of anything else. She briefly considered the gardens, but knew that they would be too dark by this time of night. Instead, she racked her brains and came up with another solution. Iroh had once mentioned in a conversation that he had a courtyard created to look like someplace in Ba Sing Se with a fountain. To be honest, Katara hadn't been paying attention but had noticed Zuko's uncomfortable eagerness to change the topic. Now however, she frantically searched for any possible route to this private sanctuary. After jerking one poor servant out of a daze and demanding to know where she could find such a courtyard, she was shakily given some directions and quickly set off again, too busy trying to be preoccupied to bother being polite.

Following the winding corridors in the direction that the servant had shown her, Katara focused on anything she could but the devastating night almost two years ago in which her world had been destroyed. Under her breath, she recited the various rules that Arisu had practically drilled into her head. They ranged from what fashions were appropriate for what Fire Nation holidays to which seat she should take at a state event. She was so forcibly involved with this activity that she almost missed the narrow turning that led to the archway through which was the stone fountain, surrounded by lit torches and high walls. As Katara stared up into the night's sky, she saw that the high walls were each supporting a hallway. Maybe this spot had once been the center of the palace, many years ago before the building had been extended. Above and below the open-air hallways were dotted lights, probably the glow of torches from the servant' rooms. One thing, however, had stayed the same. Amidst the gray stone of the courtyard stood a large replica of the Fire Nation insignia, the same one which resided in Iroh and Zuko's hair when they had a formal meeting to attend, only made of stone and on a much larger scale. It was fixed stubbornly to the wall furthest away from Katara, and she seethed at it silently before turning her back and focusing on the calming water spraying playfully from the fountain.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Katara slowly began to push and pull the water. When she felt the liquid yield to her will, she became a little more adventurous, looping the crystal clear water through the wooden poles which held up the torches. With her eyes closed, she could almost pretend that she was back at the South Pole, just practicing Waterbending once more. The only difference was that the air tasted strange and too humid. Taking another deep breath and keeping her eyes shut, Katara brought the water in so it was almost touching her chest. After a moment of pure concentration, she jabbed her fingers out in different directions, the water slicing through the air as it hurried to obey. There were satisfying sizzling sounds, and when Katara opened her eyes she saw that all the flames on the torches had been extinguished. Allowing herself a small smile, she recalled the water once more. The soothing swish of the water as it flowed from the fountain comforted her; it was calm and beautiful. So unlike fire…

Now practicing only under the light of the stars and the crescent moon above, she let the cool water caress her fingers. Deciding that she may as well get some target practice done while she was here, she felt the water harden into ice as it encased her fingers. Turning to face the Fire Nation insignia, Katara aimed at a specific point and threw the ice daggers. They all hit where intended, but shattered as they smashed against the stone. Small shards of ice sprinkled to the stone floor. Narrowing her eyes, Katara summoned some more water and repeated the process. But no matter how many times she tried, the ice would always splinter and break as it met the stone. A part of Katara was telling her that it was ridiculous to expect a huge piece of carved stone to buckle under the weight of a few icicles, but a larger part whispered that this was so much bigger than stone and ice. It represented the state of the world for the past hundred and three years; the Fire Nation obstinately standing tall no matter how many times it was attacked. In any other circumstances, in any other war, this would be a good thing. Only the Fire Nation were destroying families and lives, and obliterating those who tried to restore order. Those like Aang.

Her breathing becoming quicker, Katara gathered water and began pelting the stone with it angrily. She _would _break the stone, no matter what. Not bothering to freeze the water anymore, she hurled mass amounts. Blinded by the sights and sounds that she had fought so hard to repress, Katara hardly noticed the small cracks that began to appear in the fountain. Her victim was the symbol that represented everything that she hated.

"_Did you really think you could win, Avatar?" Fire Lord Ozai sneered._

"_Not by myself," Aang replied, confidently glancing from side to side at Toph, Sokka and Katara who stood by him and the rest of the warriors and benders who took their stances behind him._

"_Fool," Ozai hissed, his golden eyes alight with malice. "You stand alone and you will die alone."_

"_Not today," Aang answered. His gray eyes lingered on Zuko and Azula who stood dutifully beside their father. "But I don't like your chances much."_

"_I assure you, when I kill you it will not be by chance," Ozai snarled, beginning his attack._

With a furious scream at the memories, Katara forced more and more jets of water towards the emblem, too lost to notice the fountain crack harshly, creating an almighty noise. Chips of the stone symbol were beginning to drop rapidly, little dull fragments shattering like the ice had before it. Every bit of anger and hate and pain that Katara had left in her body she pressed into the water she hurtled forwards. Her once dead eyes were alight with rage, fixed coldly onto the stone symbol. Barely pausing for breath, Katara recycled the water over and over again.

Smashing and fracturing sounds filled the small courtyard, bouncing off the stone walls. The unusual noises drew the attention of many servants, who rushed to the windows to witness Lady Katara, their future Fire Lady, destroying a patriotic symbol. Unfortunately, Zuko and Iroh chose this moment to cross one of the hallways overlooking the courtyard. Iroh, wide eyed, stopped his nephew mid-sentence and pointed wordlessly downwards. With a frown, Zuko following the direction of his Uncle's finger, only for his own eyes to widen. He rushed to the edge of the hallway and gripped the banister. He had never seen Katara so out of control.

"What is she doing?" Iroh muttered to the side of him.

"Losing her mind," Zuko replied shakily. "She doesn't even notice anyone watching her."

"Perhaps you should go down there," Iroh suggested, his face troubled.

"Are you kidding? She'd kill me," Zuko answered with mild incredulity, unable to tear his eyes away from the tragic young woman. "She's probably visualising my face on the sculpture."

"True," Iroh couldn't help but agree. "However we can't just leave her there to destroy the courtyard. For one thing, it could place her in danger if a wall collapsed. Not to mention to Ye brothers could-"

"Prince Zuko, what is your future wife doing?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you, Mikio," Zuko replied in exasperation, unsurprised that something else had gone wrong. On a scale of one to ten, things were definitely not going well tonight. The appearance of the Ye brothers in time to watch Katara forsaking sanity were just another complication that Zuko would worry about later.

"I-I didn't know that she was that vicious," Zhen stammered, his face white under his expression. He was obviously regretting insulting Katara before.

"She isn't often," Zuko replied, seeing an advantage and taking it. "But this is the way she lets off steam. We're actually lucky that she decided to take out her anger on some stone; she's been known to attack people."

"I think I've seen enough," Zhen said, wincing as a large part of the stone symbol clattered to the floor. Slowly but surely, the carving was beginning to break. "We should be leaving. Fire Lord Iroh, Prince Zuko, thank you for your hospitality." Zhen bowed, followed by his brothers who were glancing uneasily down at the furious Waterbender. The young men left and Zuko was glad to see the back of them.

A few seconds later the stone cracked like thunder and completely fell apart, colliding with the floor and causing dust to rise up briefly before settling. The courtyard was now unnaturally silent.

Katara breathed heavily, staring down victoriously at the fragmented stone. Water trickled quietly through cracks in the fountain and she didn't bother bending it away from her feet. A small noise above her caused her to look up sharply. Countless pairs of horrified eyes stared back down at her. Realising that the servants who had thought Katara so kind and gentle had seen her at her most dangerous, Katara oddly felt no embarrassment or guilt. She calmly met as many eyes as possible, before recognising some. Aika and Ryo, clutching baby Kuzon close to their chests, were staring down at Katara as though she had suddenly sprouted another head. The shock in their eyes was evident even from the dim light and distance. With an effort, Katara tore her eyes away. Pricks of guilt began jabbing at her, but quickly melted away as she saw Zuko standing imperiously above her, his face partly shining in the moonlight. His expression was unreadable as he too stared down at her. Katara glared defiantly back.

"She doesn't look very happy, Zuko," Iroh murmured into his ear. "I wouldn't antagonize her if I were you."

"I wasn't going to," Zuko scowled, turning to his uncle. Directing his eyes back down to the courtyard, he was surprised to see Katara walking steadily away, leaving behind remains of her fury. "She'll pay for that."

"I think that's a little harsh, Zuko," Iroh frowned. "You shouldn't punish the girl for losing her temper, Agni knows that you do it enough."

"I wasn't talking about me, Uncle," Zuko replied acidly. "I was talking about them."

He indicated the windows below the hallway, where stunned and confused servants were slowly leaving to go back to their work. They muttered all night about Lady Katara and, despite her pretences, how she was just as ruthless as a Firebender.

* * *

Two days after Katara had destroyed part of the courtyard, she still felt a little foolish. What she must have looked like to the various servants gathered, she didn't know. But her actions had cost her; the servants were no longer friendly towards her. They treated her with cautious respect and wouldn't meet her eyes, let alone have the same conversations with her that they once would've had. Apart from jokily remarking that she had scared the Ye brothers off, Iroh hadn't said a word about the incident. Zuko hadn't said anything at all to her, but she would catch him watching her from time to time at dinner. He would hastily lower his eyes and carry on eating, but Katara knew that he wanted to speak with her.

_As if he didn't know the effect it had on me last time, _Katara thought angrily. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed at the moment, with the windows open and a pleasant, cooling breeze whispering softly around the room. After initially complaining to Iroh that her room was faulty (as in the windows wouldn't open and there was no lock on her door) everything was in perfect working order. Arisu still wasn't back from her mysterious trip, which left Katara with little to do but sit around and try not to dwell on how difficult she had made her own life.

A gentle rapping on the door a few minutes later made Katara look up warily. She wasn't in the mood to speak to Zuko, and if it was him at the door then she wouldn't bother answering it. Then again, it could be someone important. But which important person would want to visit her?

"Katara?" a soft voice asked through the door. Katara's heart leapt as she recognised the voice as Aika's, and she scrambled up to open the door. In the split second before she opened the door, she ordered herself not to get her hopes up. After all, Aika could well just be telling Katara to stay away from the servants. But as Aika appeared in the doorway, balancing Kuzon on her hip and wearing a tentative smile, Katara knew that she could get her hopes up as much as she wanted.

"Aika," Katara grinned, standing back and letting her friend on.

"Katara," Aika greeted, her smile becoming warmer. "I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Well I have a busy schedule of doing nothing, but I can take a break from that."

"Glad to hear it," Aika nodded, sitting hesitantly down on Katara's bed. "I…about the other night…"

Katara closed the door, turning away to hide her fallen expression. Maybe Aika wasn't here on friendly terms after all. But then why would she have brought her baby? Something didn't add up.

"I understand if you don't want me to see you or your family anymore," Katara whispered, slowly turning back around and attempting a mature smile. She failed and sighed. "I'm sorry that you had to see me like that."

"That isn't the reason I've come," Aika said, cradling the now sleeping Kuzon. "Well, it is, but I'm not about to tell you to stay away from us. I know that a lot of people have been avoiding you after what happened, but Ryo and I decided that you're still the same person who helped bring Kuzon into the world. Just because you got a little angry doesn't mean that you're a bad person."

"Thank you," Katara murmured, so full of gratitude that she couldn't think of what else to say. She came and sat down next to Aika, the bed bouncing a little under the weight of another person. Kuzon whimpered in his sleep, but didn't wake up. Aika quickly checked on her son before looking back to Katara and smiling.

"You're having a hard enough time of it as it is, I bet," she said sympathetically. "No one goes berserk like that over something small."

Katara laughed to hide any other emotion. "Zhen Ye is the most idiotic excuse for a human being that I've ever met…and that includes Zuko."

"I've heard he isn't the politest of people," Aika agreed, before frowning. "But I gather that you still haven't given Prince Zuko a chance."

"No, Aika, I haven't," Katara sighed. Every time she saw Aika, the girl would give her grief about Zuko. "And I really don't intend to. Do you really think that it was just Zhen who caused me to destroy part of the courtyard?"

Aika frowned, confused. "From what I've heard, Prince Zuko is doing his best to help you adjust to life in the Fire Nation."

"Whatever you've heard is a lie, then," Katara said grimly. "I really don't get why you all think that Zuko is some sort of God, because he really, really isn't."

"Until Fire Lord Iroh came to the throne, Prince Zuko was the only one who cared about the servants…or concubines, for that matter," Aika said quietly, her eyes suddenly fixed on Kuzon's head. "He would treat us with respect, as equal human beings rather than just dispensable."

"Did he ever ask that you get fairer working conditions or anything?"

"No, but-"

"Then he can't have been that great," Katara shrugged, determined to cast Zuko in a worse light than he probably deserved.

"Would you have wished to bring something like servants' rights up with Ozai?" Aika shuddered.

"You've got a point," Katara grudgingly admitted. "But I spend my days trying not to think of my future as Zuko's wife, so can we please talk about something else?"

"Sure," Aika chuckled. "Have you been into the city yet?"

"No," Katara scowled. "The wonderful Prince Zuko has told every soldier standing guard that they are not to let me out of the palace."

Aika's golden eyes went wide with surprise. "Really? Why would he do that?"

"I have no idea," Katara lied. Truthfully, she was thinking, _because he's a complete and utter bastard_, but thought it best not to say this out loud. "So I'm trapped in the palace until the guards are told otherwise. I tried to get past them the other day…that was a fun waste of my time."

Instead of laughing, which was the reaction Katara was aiming for, Aika looked troubled and bit her lower lip. "You're not happy here, are you?" she guessed. The seriousness of her tone startled Katara for a moment.

"I…I think 'happy' may be too…_strong_ a word, but I'm not…" Katara faltered, before sighing and lowering her eyes to her intertwined fingers. "I just wish things would go back to normal. Everything's wrong here…I want things to go back to the way they were before the Day of Black Sun. Instead I'm cooped up inside a palace at the beck and call of the last man on the planet that I want to marry…" Katara, fearing that she'd said too much, quickly looked up and forced a grin on her face. "Other than that, I'm great."

Aika sat in thoughtful silence for so long that Katara worried that she had somehow offended her. She was just about to say something when Aika sighed.

"Ryo's uncle works as one of the palace guards…I might be able to get you out of the palace for a few hours," she said hesitantly. "But no one must ever find out. If they did…"

"They wouldn't," Katara assured eagerly. "Are you sure? I mean, it's a huge risk on your part."

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it," Aika smiled. "Besides, if it means that you walk around with a smile on your face and stop destroying ancient parts of the palace, then I think it's a worthy risk."

"You mean I have to stop smashing things up?" Katara asked in mock-disappointment. "Well, alright. But this city better be impressive."

"It is," Aika nodded. "Especially for someone who's new to the Fire Nation."

Baby Kuzon suddenly woke up and started crying fitfully. Aika frantically tried to calm her child down, throwing frightened looks towards the door.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked in a hushed voice.

"Servants are not supposed to be in the rooms of royalty unless they are working," Aika whispered back. "If I were found in here on a social call…"

"Then I will harm anyone who tries to punish you," Katara promised, standing up as Aika did.

"That is not necessary," Aika answered over her baby's cries. "But we will talk later about getting out of the palace."

"Katara?" Zuko suddenly called loudly through the door.

Both teenage girls turned to stare at each other. "Quickly, go into the bathroom and start running the water. It should mask Kuzon's cries," Katara instructed. Aika nodded and quickly followed the instruction.

"What a time to turn up," Katara muttered under her breath as she made sure that the bathroom door was shut tightly. "He probably only wants to charge me for damaging the stupid sculpture anyway."

Nevertheless, Katara couldn't just ignore Zuko, particularly when he started banging on the door with his fist, so she sighed and heaved open her bedroom door. "Yes?" she asked wearily.

Zuko frowned and tried to look around her into the room. Katara stood in the way. "Was there something you wanted?" she asked, moving conspicuously to block his view.

"Is there a baby in there?" Zuko asked, giving up trying to see into Katara's room and instead looking at her.

"A baby?" Katara repeated as incredulously as she could. "Why would I have a baby in my room?"

"You tell me." Zuko was watching her carefully with his eyebrow raised. "And remember that I grew up with Azula so I can tell when you're lying."

Katara's mind went completely blank as she tried to scrabble around for some sort of reasonable explanation. … Or just an explanation. … Okay, words of any sort would do at this point.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you've got servants visiting you," Zuko smirked, leaning against the doorframe casually.

"I appreciate it," Katara replied dryly. "Shouldn't you be training or sucking up to some other high ranking society member?"

"Funny."

"It wasn't meant to be."

"Actually I came because I wanted to know if you were okay," Zuko said, the smirk slowly replaced by a look of uncomfortable sincerity. "The other night you…"

"I know," Katara nodded, also looking away. "But you didn't just expect me to take what you said without some consequence, did you?"

"I didn't expect you to destroy a statue carved by my ancestors out of the strongest stone in the country, no," Zuko answered slyly. "But I was out of line the other night. I'm sorry."

Katara's eyes flew up to Zuko's face. "What?" she frowned, sure that she had misheard.

"I'm not saying it again," Zuko snapped.

"No, I just-" Katara shrugged, startled despite herself by Zuko's harsh voice. "I wasn't expecting you to apologise."

"Then we're both unpredictable," Zuko said with a small smile.

"I guess so," Katara said slowly, meeting Zuko's eyes with some confusion. He looked so different when he smiled. Better.

"Would it be so bad to accept my apology?" Zuko asked after a moment.

"Probably," Katara nodded.

"Good to know," Zuko sighed. "Anyway, I should get back to…pretending like I have something to do."

"Me too."

Zuko left and Katara closed the door with a frown. Why hadn't she just bitten Zuko's head off for trying to talk to her? Moreover, why had she reciprocated the conversation? What was the matter with her?

"Wow, that sounded really harsh," Aika drawled teasingly, opening the bathroom door once she was sure that Zuko had gone. The sounds of running water filled the room, but at least Kuzon had stopped crying. "I now understand why you hate him so much."

"He isn't normally like that," Katara answered irritably, striding into the bathroom and turning the water off. "He must be on cactus juice or something."

"I noticed that your bathroom is decorated Water Tribe style…I heard that was the Prince's doing also," Aika said slyly, following Katara whilst balancing the baby on her hip.

"Another moment of madness on his part," Katara said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, do you really think that I'd hate someone as much as I hate Zuko for no reason?"

"Maybe," Aika shrugged. "If the Avatar held a grudge against him then you probably will do too."

"Zuko was hunting all of us back then, not just the Avatar" Katara hissed, the sudden change of topic not suiting her. "But I'm sure that the multiple times he captured or attacked me it wasn't personal."

"Maybe that's his way of showing affection?" Aika joked weakly, sensing that she had ambled into dangerous territory.

Katara sighed and smiled a little. "I'm sorry, Aika, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just not in a great mood anymore."

"That's alright, Kuzon is due for a feed anyway," Aika smiled. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye," Katara nodded distractedly, barely hearing Aika walk out of the bathroom and close the bedroom door behind her. She was too busy staring up at the large mosaic Water Tribe sign on her sapphire bathroom wall to notice much.

It was true that ever since losing her temper (slight understatement) in the courtyard, she had felt less angry, but was she really ready to start accepting Zuko? No, it was too soon for that. But then why had she engaged in a whole minute long conversation with him without it turning into an argument? Perplexed, Katara stared at the Water Tribe symbol for a long time, confusing thoughts swirling around her mind like water slowly vanishing down a drain.

* * *

**A/N:**

**It took me less long to update this time! -is proud of myself- lol. This chapter was going to be longer (hence last chapter's author's note saying that this chapter would be an interesting one) but I had to split it up due to length and me being incredibly sleepy. Hope you all enjoyed regardless (:**

**Thank you to all my reviewers, you guys rock my socks. And when I'm not wearing socks, then you rock my slippers. And if I'm not wearing slippers? You still rock.**

"**Pain" is my second favourite Three Days Grace song (my fave TDG and overall best song ever will be the title of another chapter) and it's pretty darn awesome.**

**Special thanks to **Pesche** who suggested that Katara lets loose with water. I'm not sure that s/he meant for Katara to completely stress out, but oh well, lol.**

**Have a good week everyone!**

**- Momo**


	10. The Impression That I Get

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

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* * *

_

Have you ever been close to tragedy, or been close to folks who have? Have you ever felt a pain so powerful, so heavy you collapse? Have you ever had the odds stacked up so high, you need a strength most don't possess? Or has it ever come down to do or die, you've got to rise above the rest?

- The Impression That I Get _by _The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

* * *

Later that day, Arisu returned. She was being very sketchy about where she had been for the past few days and no matter how hard Katara pressed, she couldn't get anything out of the woman.

"Come on, Arisu," Katara whinged as they walked down the corridor that led to the gardens. "I'm not getting any freedom of my own and if I don't get some description of the outside world then pretty soon I'll lose all recollection of it."

"Of course you have freedom," Arisu sniffed, her heels clacking loudly on the floor.

"No, I don't," Katara frowned, confused. Although Zuko had apparently been the one to tell the guards not to let Katara out of the palace grounds, she had just assumed that Iroh and Arisu had been in on it as well. "Zuko told all the guards to keep me inside the palace walls. I thought you knew."

Arisu stopped for a moment, evidently surprised. "I didn't know," she murmured, before sighing angrily and continuing striding briskly. "Then again, I am not surprised that I was not informed. Perhaps the Fire Lord thinks that I am no longer important enough to share information with."

"I don't think Fire Lord Iroh had anything to do with this," Katara said slowly, shooting a furtive glance up at her mentor. "Are you okay, Arisu? You seem a little-"

"I am _fine_," Arisu hissed, glowering ahead of herself. "Although I intend to ask the Fire Lord the same question."

"He was okay last time I checked," Katara shrugged dubiously, almost struggling to keep up with Arisu's rapid pace. "He's not been ill or anything."

"It is his mental, rather than physical health that I fear for," Arisu snapped, marching along the hallway adjacent to the gardens and carrying on. With a jolt of realization, Katara understood that they were going to Iroh's room, apparently to confront him if what Arisu said was any indication. Both kept silent as they approached Iroh's room, Arisu seething and Katara worrying that Arisu would be out of line with whatever she would say.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Katara asked hesitantly. "You're upset…maybe you should come back later?"

"I will settle this now," Arisu answered, her eyes narrowing and strands of hair furiously unravelling from her tight bun. "Lessons are cancelled for today, Katara. There is a book I feel you may find interesting. I have had it delivered back to your bedroom and I suggest you enjoy what little freedom you have by taking it to the gardens. Good day."

"See you later," Katara murmured with a little wave at Arisu's retreating back. The older woman strode angrily up to the Fire Lord's door and, after sternly ordering the guards to move out of the way, rapped sharply on it. Both guards, one of olive skin and the other of pale, lowered their heads uncertainly, their hands moving reflexively towards their sword sheaths in case there was any trouble.

"Lady Arisu," Iroh's surprised voice murmured lowly. "I was not expecting you back so soon."

"Evidently," Arisu hissed back.

Katara decided that it would be intrusive to listen to anymore. Plus the adults had closed Iroh's door and she couldn't hear their conversation anyway. Her curiosity piqued, she made a mental note to ask Arisu about whatever had angered her later on. In the meantime Katara made her way back to her room and took the book that Arisu had left for her. Picking it up and weighing it in her hands, she looked at it with scrutiny. The cover was black with the crimson Fire Nation insignia painted carefully onto it. Rolling her eyes, Katara flipped over the cover of the heavy book. A scrap of parchment fell out. Dropping the book onto her bed, Katara knelt down and unfurled the parchment.

_Lady Katara, this book contains everything you need to know about the Fire Nation's history, including its triumphs and royal family._

_And Arisu thought I'd enjoy this? _Katara thought sceptically, reading the rest of the note.

_Consider this book your history teacher for the next few days. I shall see you later on. By that time you will hopefully have gotten what I am about to tell you out of your system: Prince Zuko has confirmed that the date of your wedding will be on the Summer Solstice._

_- Lady Arisu_"

* * *

I can see that you are upset, and I understand," Iroh said in what he hoped was a soothing voice to the hysterical woman pacing in his meeting room.

"Fire Lord, it is with the greatest of restraints that I am remaining civil towards you," Arisu spat, her golden eyes narrowing furiously. "Please do not make the situation worse by patronizing me."

"You have every right to be angry," Iroh sighed, changing tack and sitting down on one of the plush cushions around the small tea table. "But I assure you, that had I known I would not have sent you. Please sit down so we can talk rationally."

Arisu sat down huffily. "My life was very much in danger."

"In retrospect I should have sent a diplomat trained in communicating," Iroh acknowledged, taking a soft sip of the tea that had been laid out. "But the Water Tribes are very much set in their ways, and I would not have dreamed that they would attack a woman. Also, because you are close to Katara I thought that you may be able to talk some sense into her family."

"I am not close with Lady Katara, Your Highness. Unless it has escaped your notice, she is not fitting in at all well here. As far as I can tell, the closest thing she has to a friend in the Fire Nation is _some servant girl_." Arisu spat out the last three words with considerable disdain. "Blackmailing her to marry your nephew is all very well and good, but did you really expect her to comply willingly? The only time she speaks of him is to convey her hatred!"

"Lady Arisu, you are getting ahead of yourself," Iroh said sternly. "We shall discuss my nephew and Katara's relationship problems at another time. Right now I need to know what Chief Hakoda said."

"Yes," Arisu sniffed, delving back into the story. "After the awful journey down to the South Pole, we were attacked once the city guards saw that we were a Fire Nation ship. We ran up the flag informing them that we did not wish to fight…but that just seemed to make them attack even more. Perhaps they did not see the flag," Arisu shrugged dismissively.

_Perhaps they did and attacked regardless, _Iroh thought, resisting the urge to snort. It would not be befitting of the Fire Lord, and Arisu may think that he was laughing at her. _It's best not to make the hysterical woman anymore upset._

"But after a good few minutes of non-stop attacks, Chief Hakoda sailed out to meet us. It took several _more _minutes of talking to persuade him that I meant no harm, by which time I was sure that my left arm was frozen solid. It's ridiculously cold in the South Pole…I don't know how Katara lived there for so long."

"She was born there," Iroh pointed out.

"Nevertheless, it was freezing. I was glad to leave."

"I'm sure that Chief Hakoda was glad to see you leave also," Iroh prompted, impatient to get to the point. "What did he say before you left?"

Arisu sighed heavily. "He said that if we kept withholding the letters that Katara was meant to receive then he may have to reconsider the pact that was made."

"Did you explain that I was not informed that Katara was not receiving her letters?" Iroh asked anxiously.

"I did," Arisu nodded gravely. "Hakoda replied that he did not care if you knew or not. If Katara does not reply soon to the last letter he sent to her, he is holding you personally responsible."

Iroh groaned and massaged his temple with his fingers. His head was beginning to pound painfully, something it had been prone to do for the last few days now. "Is it wrong that I understood why the Council withheld Katara's letters from her family?"

"Not at all," Arisu replied with a shake of her head. "You didn't want Katara constantly reminded of what she left behind." She paused and scrutinised Iroh for a moment. "And I suppose that Prince Zuko enters into the equation somewhere about now?"

"They're making such progress together," Iroh shrugged sheepishly. "Is it so wrong to want my nephew to be happy?"

"As long as it isn't making Katara unhappy in the process."

"It isn't," Iroh promised. "She loves it here."

"Then I'll have her letters delivered as soon as I can," Arisu said, pressing her lips together tightly as though she disagreed with Iroh's words. "Good day, Fire Lord Iroh."

"Good day, Lady Arisu," Iroh nodded, standing up with the woman. "Again, I'm very sorry that you were attacked in the South Pole. Next time I will send someone better qualified."

"I am very qualified," Arisu frowned, clearly outraged. "I was just not prepared to be ambushed by a group of savages!"

"I didn't mean-" Iroh said quickly, but Arisu was already flouncing out of the room. "Oh dear."

"Smooth," Zuko noted, walking into the room and narrowly avoiding the flustered Arisu.

"I was only taking after you," Iroh shrugged.

"Ouch," Zuko complained mildly. "That was a little uncalled for. What did you say to her?"

"Something that I shouldn't have done," Iroh sighed regretfully. He was stressed, his head was still pounding and now he had his teenaged nephew making fun of him. "What brings you here?"

"Katara's probably heard about the wedding date by now," Zuko smiled, taking Arisu's vacated seat, much to the bemusement of his uncle. "Arisu mentioned that she would put it in a letter."

_Ironic, _Iroh thought. "You seem happy about that."

"Do you see anything destroyed? Katara hasn't come after me and started yelling at me-"

"-yet," Iroh cut in, seeing where this was going and not wanting to raise Zuko's hopes only to have them dashed.

"Uncle, you and I both know that if Katara was angry about something, she'd let me know straight away. But she hasn't," Zuko explained, his golden eyes gleaming.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Iroh scrunched his face up at a particularly painful twinge in his head, but Zuko ignored it.

"Katara obviously doesn't mind marrying me," Zuko said, his patience waning. "If she did, she would've done something about it. I didn't think that she'd accept it this readily, but I guess that she has."

"I am happy for you, Zuko, I really am. Just remember that Katara is still emotionally fragile and unpredictable. Treat her with care and caution whenever you want to say anything," Iroh advised, touching his head delicately as he tried to soothe his headache.

"I will," Zuko promised with a smile, standing up quickly. "Do you think that we should invite Katara's family and Toph? That's the Earthbender's name, right? I think she'd appreciate it if we did, but…" Zuko continued murmuring to himself as he exited the room.

Iroh sighed and took a large swig of his tea, finishing it off. A nice, long nap should make him feel better. Privately, he knew that Katara couldn't have seen the note informing her of her wedding day. Zuko may have fooled himself into thinking that Katara would willingly accept his hand in marriage, but Iroh unfortunately knew better. He only hoped that, by the time he woke up from his nap, Zuko was still as happy.

* * *

Katara stumbled to her bed and sat down on it, stunned. Her quivering hands held the parchment that sealed her fate. She re-read the words as many times as she could in an attempt to change what they said, but it always remained the same. She would be getting married in a matter of weeks to the man who had destroyed her life. Moreover, she hadn't been consulted on the date and had found out via a letter delivered by someone who wasn't relevant to anything. Pure shock drowned the small, feeble pokes of anger deep inside her stomach. Foolishly, Katara had always thought that something would happen before the wedding. Her father, for example, would suddenly find the strength of a thousand armies and storm the Fire Nation himself, saving his daughter and the world in the process. Or Sokka and Toph would decide that they couldn't possibly let Katara marry Zuko and break into the palace and free her. Something, anything, that meant that she was free to marry who she wanted instead of marrying her enemy for the security of her country. Because, even after his attempts at an apology and reconciliations, Zuko was still her enemy. He had put her through far too much to be forgotten by a few simple words. Numbly, Katara sank back onto the soft pillows of her bed and stared at the ceiling. A memory that she didn't want began to creep upon her, but she was too weak with disbelief to fight it off.

"_Did you really think you could win, Avatar?" Fire Lord Ozai sneered._

"_Not by myself," Aang replied, confidently glancing from side to side at Toph, Sokka and Katara who stood by him and the rest of the warriors and benders who took their stances behind him._

"_Fool," Ozai hissed, his golden eyes alight with malice. "You stand alone and you will die alone."_

"_Not today," Aang answered. His gray eyes lingered on Zuko and Azula who stood dutifully beside their father. "But I don't like your chances much."_

"_I assure you, when I kill you it will not be by chance," Ozai snarled, beginning his attack. He placed the tips of his fingers together and concentrated briefly. It was a moment that lasted for a lifetime. Everyone in the throne room knew what he was about to do, yet no one could stop it. Katara's eyes slowly slid from Ozai to Zuko. The pain and uncertainty in Zuko's face abruptly dissolved as he met Katara's eyes coldly. Katara did not look from the Prince's face until Ozai struck sharply, his lightning hurtling towards Aang. Aang Airbended himself to the air and began to attack from above. A battle cry emitted from somewhere behind the frontline and a surge of people suddenly rushed forward to the Fire Lord. As previously instructed, Sokka, Toph and most of the Earthbenders poured towards Azula and began their attacks. Narrowing her eyes, Katara encased her hands with cool water and pushed it forward swiftly. Zuko deflected it easily with a fire shield and the redirected water smacked Sokka in the head._

"_Ow!" Sokka complained, momentarily turning to his sister angrily._

"_Sorry!" Katara called back, withdrawing the water and shooting it towards Zuko once more, putting all her anger into the attack. Warriors stood around her, brandishing their weapons uncertainly towards the Fire Prince. "Leave him to me!" Katara ordered, trying to attack and defend at the same time. "Help the others!"_

"_Confident, aren't you?" Zuko asked, his voice slicing through the din surrounding them._

"_Avenging someone does that to me!" Katara shouted back, freezing parts of her water and throwing the icy spikes. They narrowly missed Zuko's face as he failed to melt them in time._

"_The Avatar?" Zuko guessed, flames coiling around his wrists._

_Recognizing his attack, Katara quickly formed her own element whips to counter Zuko's. "Who else?"_

"_He's still walking around, isn't he? For now, anyway. I don't get why you're so mad."_

_Katara breathed heavily, trying to control her fury. The clashes of the whips rose above the din, and she noticed out of the corner of her eye several people throwing quick glances in their direction before going back to their attacks. Time passed by as the room struggled to contain all the battles taking place. Azula and Ozai were managing to hold their own, while Zuko and Katara were evenly matched. At one point, someone screamed. Taking advantage of the distraction, Zuko carved through the air with his fire, aiming for Katara's ankles. His manoeuvre worked and Katara tripped and smacked into the cold, hard floor. The wind knocked out of her, Katara struggled to get back up. Zuko strode across towards her and pushed her back down._

"_I don't want to do this," he muttered in her ear. "I have no choice."_

_Sure she was about to die, Katara braced herself. When nothing happened, she glanced up just in time to see Zuko getting knocked off his own feet by a sharp gust of air sent by Aang. Sending her friend a grateful look, Katara quickly caught her breath and stood up, readying herself for another fight._

"_You won't win," she promised Zuko, who had regained his balance unnervingly quickly. "I won't let you."_

"_That isn't a guarantee that you're in any position to make," Zuko scowled, his golden eyes flicking quickly towards the large double doors. More voices joined the already deafening din and Katara's heart sank. She whipped around to see tens of masked soldiers flooding into the room and beginning their attacks. She sent a swift look towards Zuko, before running off quickly. There was so much in that single glance: anger, fear, hurt, betrayal._

"_We're way outnumbered," she shouted to Sokka as she reached him. "We need something big."_

"_I think we've got it," Sokka replied, his cerulean eyes wide and staring in another direction. Katara turned to whatever it was he was staring at, and saw Ozai, Zuko and Azula standing in a line, placing their fingers together in the lightning position._

"_Oh no…" Katara whispered._

Whether it was a stubborn refusal to remember anything else or a genuine memory block, Katara didn't know. Either way, the memory faded and she was left in her breezy room, lying on the bed in a comatose position. Her eyes, calm and unblinking, stared up at the canopy of her crimson bed. Part of her was searching for something that would enable her to go back home to the Water Tribes. Another part was hoping that some miracle would occur and she would be saved. The final part was resigning herself to what she knew would be her life. Miracles belonged in legends and children's tales, not real life. All the stories that her mother used to tell her about beautiful girls falling in love with handsome boys and living happily ever after were just that - stories. Katara had never wished so badly that her life was a fairy tale…that the world was never in danger, that Aang and everyone else she cared for was still alive, that the Fire Nation stopped attacking everything that moved, that she wasn't forced to marry the man responsible for the nightmarish qualities in her life.

As if on cue, there was a succession of short, sharp raps on her door.

"Come in," Katara sighed quietly, unable to lift the corners of her mouth in a false smile. The unlocked door opened and Zuko stepped in.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his light expression faltering as he took in Katara's state. He closed the door behind him and came to a stop awkwardly beside her bed. His eyes dropped to the parchment lying beside Katara's hand and he nodded slightly in comprehension. "Ah. I thought you might've gotten the news."

"Yeah," Katara whispered. "Arisu wrote me a letter. It was more like a note, actually."

"I guess she was too afraid to tell you in person," Zuko shrugged, fairly certain that the joke was lost on Katara.

"Like you were, you mean?" Katara asked dully, heaving herself until she was sitting in an upright position.

"I didn't know how you'd react," Zuko replied carefully. "But you don't seem to be taking it to horribly."

"I'm still in shock," Katara admitted. "I didn't realize that it'd be this soon."

"The sooner the better."

"Thanks for involving me in the planning," Katara said, a small note of acid in her quiet voice. "It makes this whole thing easier to deal with."

"I'm sorry that you feel that marrying me is something you have to force yourself to cope with," Zuko frowned, trying very hard to control his voice.

"I don't why that surprises you," Katara shrugged. "You must have known that I'd never marry you unless forced to."

"Thank you," Zuko hissed sarcastically. "But now you see why I didn't ask your opinion on the date of the wedding. You'd have delayed it."

"Only for about sixty years," Katara murmured.

"By which time war would've broken out again because the pact agreed upon is only valid when you marry me." Then, in an obscure attempt to bring a smile to the Waterbender's face, "Giving up ice, snow and barren wasteland to come and live in a palace in the center of a tropical country…I see the sacrifice there."

Katara sighed heavily and turned over so that she wouldn't have to face Zuko. "You have no idea about sacrifice."

"I know more than you think."

The hard tone of his voice caused Katara to turn back around curiously. "Of this magnitude? Have you ever had to forsake your family in order to keep the world at peace? Ever had to move to a different country and learn a whole new set of stupid laws and rules? Ever had to marry the one person that you-" she cut herself off with a deep, calming breath. Belated waves of anger were beginning to thrash around inside of her. If she carried on, the bathroom may have another unfortunate accident.

"No," Zuko said truthfully. There was a pause. "I thought you'd gotten over your anger issues."

"I could say the same about you."

"I'm not going around destroying things."

"Anger isn't just something you 'get over'," Katara spat. "Especially when it's over something as strong as mine." She scowled. "What has it got to do with you, anyway? You picked one hell of a time to start caring."

"You really think I want to spend the rest of my life with someone who could attack me at any moment?" Zuko asked after an awkward silence. In honesty, Katara's question had thrown him. Why exactly _did _he care? It wasn't for the selfish reasons that he had just said, although he couldn't put his finger on what was really going on.

"I'm sure you'd have me thrown into a tower or something if I ever dared cross you," Katara muttered sarcastically.

"See, that's what I'm talking about," Zuko frowned. "You don't see it, but your anger is making you into this whole different person. It's like," he took a deep breath before continuing, "you're trapped in a hole and you're getting angrier and more emotional by the second. You're lashing out, but you're hitting the walls and causing a cave-in and only hurting yourself. A hand is being offered, but you're ignoring it."

Katara stared at Zuko, and he knew that he had touched a nerve. She looked as though she had been slapped; Zuko's words had gotten to her.

"The hand that offers help is also the one that pushed me in the first place. I can't trust it, I can't forgive it and I can't accept its help," she whispered after a moment. She couldn't meet his eyes and felt oddly vulnerable.

"I know that you feel like I betrayed you, and I'm sorry that you feel that way," Zuko sighed. "But I wasn't the only one fighting in the throne room. Why don't you blame my father and Azula nearly as much as you blame me?"

"Because I didn't think that they could change," Katara said before she could stop herself. She could feel Zuko's eyes burning into her, but found that she couldn't meet his gaze. Figuring that she might as well finish what she had already started, Katara closed her eyes and continued whispering. "You have no idea how I felt after what happened at Ba Sing Se. Even after I healed him," Zuko didn't have to ask who 'he' was, "I felt so betrayed. After all you've put me through…" Katara looked Zuko dead in the eyes. "I don't think you realize how much I hate you."

The calm coldness in her voice chilled Zuko. Her eyes were hollow yet sincere.

"I'm trying to make it better," Zuko said helplessly as Katara stood up and began to walk away. "You can't keep walking away from things that you can't deal with!"

"I can," Katara assured him, heading for the door.

"Hear me out!" Zuko shouted suddenly. Katara stopped and turned, half-fearful, half-defiant. Knowing that he had the girl's attention, Zuko chose his words carefully. "I didn't want to tell you this yet, but I suppose that now is as good a time as any. On the Day of Black Sun, things weren't as they seemed. With me, I mean."

"If this is some well thought out excuse then I don't want to hear it," Katara sighed with a shake of her head.

"It isn't," Zuko promised. "It's the truth." He paused and looked into the Waterbender's eyes. Did he want to tell her the real reason he helped to kill her best friend? If he ever wanted any sort of relationship with her, then the answer was yes. "Even before your group invaded the palace, I knew that I had to say something to my father. I had been unhappy since I returned from Ba Sing Se. My uncle was locked in a secure prison, I had been welcomed back with honor and I guess things with Mai were alright."

"Mai?"

"I kind of dated her for awhile," Zuko said sheepishly.

"And you wonder why I have no respect for you," Katara muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Trust me, it ended pretty quickly. Call it a lapse of judgement," Zuko shrugged. "Anyway, things were like I'd never been away. But it wasn't how I wanted it to be. People were still dying and everything was thrown out of balance. I had been wrestling with the idea of leaving and…" he trailed off uncomfortably, unable to meet Katara's eyes. "And joining the Avatar's gang."

"You can't be serious," Katara hissed, turning away and reaching for the door handle.

"I am," Zuko promised. "I know that you would've never accepted me, but I felt like I at least had to try."

Katara took her hand off the handle and whirled around, suddenly furious. "And what changed this time? You swap sides as though it's a game!"

"Just before you reached the palace, I confronted my father," Zuko said, ignoring Katara's question and giving her time to blink the angry tears out of her eyes. "He'd been preparing for the invasion since I returned home and knew that this was his chance to kill…to win. There was no one else in the room, just me and him. I told him everything that I've just told you. And he laughed. He said that Uncle Iroh had obviously gotten to me, that I was weak and foolish. He said that he should kill me for my insolence, but that I was needed in the fight. I told him that I would be fighting against him, on the right side for a change. This was all going on in the middle of the eclipse, bear in mind, so my father was in no rush. He could easily have killed me and had time to spare. The Yu Yan Archers were defending the palace until the Firebending was back on so we were in no danger."

"We got through, didn't we?" Katara asked softly, disagreeing with Zuko's words.

"Only because my father wanted to be the one to end it. No one gets past the Yu Yan Archers if they are ordered not to let anyone past." The time when the Avatar saved Zuko's life from the very same archers quickly flashed through his mind, but he decided not to say anything. "I told my father that I was not afraid of him, that I would rather die than help him slaughter anymore people. Again, he just laughed. He told me that he knew I would help him because…because if I didn't my mother would die." Zuko's voice had become very quiet. "He told me that my mother had been locked away ever since her 'disappearance' and that unless I went back to being the obedient Fire Prince, he would kill her and make me watch. In hindsight, I should've asked for proof, but I so badly wanted to believe that my mother was still alive that I accepted his word without question. I knew that he was heartless enough to do it, there was never any question of that. As though I wouldn't accept his threats, my father also said that my Uncle and everyone I cared about would be killed one by one until I learned my lesson. What could I do but accept his terms?"

"Fight back?" Katara suggested angrily. "You said you would rather die than assist him, remember?"

"But then I would be dead and those people would still die. I chose to save the ones I love rather than take the cowardly way out. Of course I later discovered that my mother had been banished from the Fire Nation and my father had no idea where she was. I had betrayed everything that I held in value for a lie."

"And people were lying dead in your home because of that." Katara's voice was filled with disgust. "Why did you stay afterwards? The only one who had the power to defeat you was dead, his allies as good as and there was little chance that you'd get attacked on that scale again."

"I don't know," Zuko scowled, his voice abruptly filled with anger and frustration. "I kept telling myself that it was because otherwise everyone would be in danger, but there was no one left in the palace that I cared about. I finished with Mai as soon as I was able to face people after my actions on the Day of Black Sun. I knew that you and your friends wanted nothing to do with me and I had no idea where my mother and uncle were, so that left me with nowhere to go. Society hailed me as a hero, but I have never been more ashamed of myself. Something died in me the day the Avatar was killed, but something was reborn too. My goal, every day for the past two years, has been to bring peace and balance back into the world." Zuko paused, before taking a non-threatening step towards the frozen Katara. "Then you came, and my intention was to bring you peace as well. I know that you could never want me after what I've done, but grant my forgiveness and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and since you've gotten here it feels like I can finally make peace with myself and what I've done."

_Did I just tell her that I like her? _Zuko wondered amid the silence, confused by his own words. _I guess if she reads between the lines then I did. I really should think about what I say before I say it…_

"I…this is too much," Katara muttered, yanking the door open and running from the room.

"That wasn't quite the reaction I was going for," Zuko sighed, practically sprinting after the unpredictable Water Tribe girl. He felt like he had really gotten somewhere with Katara, and if he left it now then she may not want to talk to him until their wedding. Maybe not even then.

Skidding around the sharp corners of corridors, Zuko privately wondered if Katara had some sort of plan or if she was just randomly running away. He hoped it was the first option; it would be easier to catch up to her if he could figure out where she was going. But when Katara eventually did come to a stop, it wasn't at all where Zuko would have thought.

Only breathing slightly more heavily than normal, Katara reached out a shaking hand to the door handle. With a heave and a foreboding creak, it opened. She only hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps into the darkened throne room. Cautiously, Zuko followed her inside.

**

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A/N:

**Yay, cliff-hangers. Not the best ending to a chapter in the world, but there you go. Hope you all enjoyed anyway!**

**The song of this chapter was recommended by **Tikitakatua,** and it's a shockingly upbeat and addictive song. I always listen to music when I'm writing, and it's odd trying to write an emotional scene with happy music XD Parts of Zuko's speech were donated (is that the right word?) by **LdyDarkStr

**Maiko got dissed quite a lot in this chapter, huh? XP Ah well, serve it right. I can tolerate it on the show, but in the fanfiction world it's all about Zutara!**

**Thanks for all your reviews (a total of 224, I love you all! lol) they mean a lot to me (:**

**Happy Valentine's Day for when it comes, have a great week everyone!**

**- Momo**


	11. My Immortal

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

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**A/N:**

**I'll let you get to the chapter in a moment, I promise :P But first, if any of you listen to music when you're reading, then I have some suggestions for this chapter. For the first part, sad music will help. While writing, I put "My Immortal" by Evanescence, "Everytime" by Britney Spears and "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan on repeat. Combined with Valentines Day, it was a very depressing week XD**

**For the flashback (which I'll get back to writing when I've finished the author's note) I'm listening to "The Last Crusade" by Epica (thanks to **Dragon Jadefire** for recommending this band to me - they rock!) because it's good old fashioned dramatic music. Anyway, those were just my suggestions - hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams. Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me. These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real, there's just too much that time cannot erase.

- My Immortal _by _Evanescence

* * *

If Katara walked forward into the throne room then she could touch Aang's body, silent and broken on the floor. She would stop the pillars collapsing around them and find some way to heal him, even though he was dead before he had smashed into the solid marble. The shattered tiled floor around Aang had torn his clothes slightly, but that didn't matter; she could always repair them. Then she could heal everyone else that lay long dead on the ground and the battle would end like it was supposed to. Fragments of rock and tile lay in bits all over the floor, a terrible remainder of what had occurred. But she could tidy it up. It didn't matter, as long as those she loved were safe. With this in mind, Katara walked the short distance to where Aang lay, careful to step over any broken material. Her soft footsteps pattered along the floor, the only sound in an abyss. It took a century to reach him. Kneeling down next to him, Katara raised her shaking hand and placed it on Aang's smooth head, marred only by cuts and bruises. Her hand passed straight through his arrow and settled on the floor beneath him. Frowning, Katara retracted her hand and tried to perch it on Aang's chest, ignoring the black gaping wound that now ran straight through him. She could heal that. She had healed the last one, after all. But again, all she felt was smooth tile. Frustrated and beginning to panic, she slammed her hand through Aang's stomach. As her palm connected painfully with the floor, Aang slowly faded away in front of her. The tiles beneath where he had been were smooth. Eyes wide, Katara clutched at the space where he had been just moments ago, determined to bring him back. When nothing happened, Katara looked up slowly. The pillar that Aang had crashed into wasn't black with ashes, nor did it have a fracture in it. It was unblemished. Confused, she turned around to face the rest of the throne room. The bodies had disappeared. The smoking wreckage of rubble was now just a smooth wall, draped in a rich velvet curtain. Everything that had been damaged was now exactly the way it had been before, besides the throne which had inexplicably moved. Now only Zuko stood in the dim room, watching her with concern etched onto his traitorous face.

Katara stood up on shaking legs as the horrible truth dawned on her once more. There had been no happy ending for the good guys. Evil had won out, and then disposed of the murdered bodies as though they were cluttering up the floor. Feeling liquid agony burn in her eyes, she shook her head and swiftly but shakily strode to the door. Zuko moved quicker than her and blocked it.

"Move." Katara's voice was low and quivering and filled with pleading desperation. She didn't dare look up for fear that her eyes would overflow. The moment she cried would be the moment she gave up and stopped believing that Aang and everyone she had lost that day would come back.

"I can't," Zuko said sadly, shaking his head.

"Move." Katara repeated, the pleas giving way to commanding anger. She raised her scorching eyes to Zuko's for a fleeting moment to show that she was serious. When his grim face looked back down at her, she began to scowl. "Get out of my way!" she screamed, raising her hands and trying to pry Zuko away from the door. He evaded her attempt.

"No. I can't watch you like this anymore. You can't run on hate forever."

"You're giving me plenty of fuel," Katara hissed, not giving up. "I'm _this_ close to forcing you out of the way anyway."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Zuko frowned, pushing her away lightly. "You're not coping with the Avatar's death and it isn't healthy!"

Katara shook her head in fury and turned away. She would not listen to this. Striding to the back of the throne room, she scanned the walls through the haze of tears for an alternative way out. All the while, Zuko was talking to her.

"Aang was your best friend and he died. It's okay to be upset about that."

Snarling quietly, Katara unscrewed the water bottle on her hip and withdrew a stream of water. Zuko would move, one way or the other.

"He's gone!" Zuko called to her, warily noticing the liquid. "He's gone forever and he isn't coming back!"

With an almost feral scream, Katara hurled the water in her hands as hard as she could towards Zuko, her blinding emotions making her attack powerful but misdirected. The water crashed into the wall at the side of Zuko. Flinching slightly from the noise and rebounding spray, he nevertheless began to move cautiously towards the infuriated young woman.

"Aang's dead," he said, hoping that his blunt method would force Katara to face up to her pain.

"Stop it!" she screamed. "Shut up!"

"You force yourself to feel all this anger and hate, because you know that otherwise all you'll have left to feel is pain, and you can't deal with that." Zuko was drawing nearer to Katara, who looked on the verge of collapse. "But I…I'm here now, and I can be strong enough for the both of us."

Katara's eyes shimmered with tears and her whole body trembled with the effort of keeping them in. At Zuko's words, she looked up at him, her face filled with uncertainty and anguish. He took slow, careful steps until he was directly in front of her.

"Aang's gone, Katara," he whispered, his voice like a scream that shook Katara's world. "He's dead."

Katara stood frozen for a moment. She blinked once and a single tear ran down her face, caressing her cheek softly. Then her face crumpled and she broke down in tears. Sinking to his knees, Zuko was there to catch her as she fell to the floor in a heap of broken promises and crippling grief. As tears cascaded down Katara's cheek, Zuko automatically held her to his chest wordlessly. He didn't know if this was crossing the invisible boundary and he didn't care. He would face the consequences later.

For how long Zuko cradled the sobbing Katara to his chest, he didn't know. Relieved that Katara would finally release her pain out into the open, he was prepared to wait as long as it took for the Waterbender to stop crying.

* * *

"_Oh no…" Katara whispered, staring at the people who would launch the attack that would most likely kill them all. Her stomach sank rapidly as she noticed that all of the guards had ceased attacking the warriors and had formed a protective barrier around the royal family. They shielded their superiors from any attacks, although it didn't stop Katara hurling mass amounts of water at them. As the third bout of liquid was deflected, Katara stopped, breathing heavily._

"_What are we supposed to do now?" she asked frantically, her heart thudding from fear._

"_Are there no openings, no gaps?" Toph asked, equally panicky because she knew for a fact that the soldiers were packed tightly._

"_Nothing," Aang muttered, having just ran up to join his friends. "But we'll find a way. We always do."_

_Suddenly struck with an idea, Katara whipped around. "Everyone, direct your attacks at Ozai…now!"_

_Without question, everyone obeyed. A tumult of water, earth and weapons was flung into the air simultaneously. Aang pushed himself into the air to shoot his own blasts of air towards the enemy. Unfortunately, at the exact moment that the various methods of attack began to descend, Ozai and his children shot their combined lighting up into the air in Aang's direction. Elements hurtled towards each other and met in midair. A second passed by in silence._

_Then everything exploded outwards._

_A wave of searing heat and light crushed everyone who stood below. Katara was thrown backwards, slamming into a marble pillar metres away and landing with an agonising smack on the tiled floor. Her ears were ringing and every bit of skin that she had on display felt as though it were on fire. Unable to move, she didn't dare to open her eyes for fear of what she would see. Each breath she dragged into her lungs burned like acid as it reluctantly slipped down her throat. The ringing in her ears slowly faded to be replaced with shouting and screaming. Opening her eyes in a flash, Katara willed herself to sit up. Her back wouldn't cooperate at first, but sheer determination won out. Quickly summoning what water she had left, Katara encased her arms with it and healed the cuts and burns. Sucking in air through her teeth in pain, she winced as the wounds healed._

_The air around her was thick and heavy with smoke as she stood up. Dust and tears stung in her eyes when she looked around her desperately, trying to see through her dense surroundings for her friends and family. She didn't recognise any of the voices crying out for help, but was unsure if this was a good thing. With shaking hands she summoned all the water she could into her grasp, flinging it out and then swiftly recalling it. The liquid parted the smoke for a moment and that was all Katara needed to run forward. Something caught her foot and she stumbled, falling to her knees. Scrambling back up and peering down, she saw the tiny lifeless body of The Duke, his eyes closed. He would've looked peaceful were it not for the fresh burn that almost covered his face and most of his body. Drops of blood had trickled from his ear onto the floor. Katara covered her mouth but could not drag her eyes away. The haze was beginning to clear and she couldn't afford to be caught unawares. Whispering a short Water Tribe traditional funeral rite, Katara mourned for a moment more before quickly limping on. She needed to look for survivors. The word sent ripples of pain through her that had nothing to do with her injuries. Aang had been the closest to the blast, so he probably needed the most medical attention. She just had to find him first._

_Acrid burning attacked her sense of smell and more than once Katara found her eyes watering because of it. Vomit welled up into her throat as she stumbled on, coming across more bodies. Some she knew, some she didn't._

"_Katara?"_

"_Sokka!"_

_The siblings embraced each other fiercely. Katara unwillingly let go but clung to her brother's hand._

"_Have you found anyone else?" she asked, dread and hope flaring inside her in unison._

"_Pipsqueak," Sokka replied solemnly, as close to crying as Katara was. "He's dead."_

"_So is The Duke," Katara sighed. Relief that it was not one of her closer friends or family washed through her and she hated herself for it. "Anyone else?"_

"_Not yet," Sokka shook his head, gingerly stepping forward and grunting in pain._

"_What is it?" Katara asked sharply, fear making her voice higher than normal._

"_Nothing," Sokka assured her quickly. "I just hurt my leg a little before."_

"_I'll heal it later," Katara promised. "Can you walk?"_

"_I'll be fine," Sokka nodded, leaning on his sister for support. "We need to find the others before Ozai regroups."_

_Katara nodded in agreement, slowly walking forward. Some people were beginning to find their feet again and attacked them as they past. Katara quickly whipped water at them until they fell back._

"_I'll go and find Dad, you find Aang," Sokka said, letting go of Katara's hand._

_Katara glanced at him, stricken. But she slowly nodded, knowing it was the right thing to do. "I love you," she said. "Be careful."_

"_I always am," Sokka grinned weakly, before limping away._

_A spurt of fire barely missed her as she slowly walked forward. Jerking backwards, Katara whirled around. With her tired arms she called the water to her and, turning around, prepared to attack._

_Azula stood there, a large gash on the side of her face, making the smirk she wore a little lopsided. Katara wearily pushed a wave of water towards the Princess, who easily deflected it. All of Katara's senses had been numbed by the impact of the explosion, but she felt a strong urge to cry at the futility of the situation. Everything had gone so wrong in a matter of minutes._

"_Focus on the Avatar," a newly arrived Zuko muttered to his sister. "Deal with his friends later."_

"_You mean he's still alive?" Azula mused, and Katara's heart soared. If Aang was still alive then there was still a chance. "We'll have to do something about that."_

_She sauntered off, unbelievably calm and collected despite the chaos that surrounded her. Katara hurled another wall of water at Zuko, feeling tears prick at her eyes. He pushed it away with ease, sending a jet of fire back at Katara. Unprepared to defend herself, the flames seared her upper arm. Katara gasped in pain._

"_That was a warning," Zuko said, his voice carrying across the space between them. He looked at the Water Tribe girl for a brief moment before leaving to join his sister. Again._

"_Son of a whore," Katara hissed through her teeth, even though she knew Zuko wouldn't be able to hear. She hated that he and Azula just walked off without giving her much thought; it showed how arrogant they were, how stupidly smug that they would win. Well they wouldn't. Katara wouldn't let them._

"_Katara!"_

_Katara whipped around to see her father, brother and Toph leaning against the wall to catch their breath. Her father supported Bato, who looked in desperate need of medical attention. She ran to them, relieved that the majority of her family had been found._

"_Where's Aang?" she asked quickly as she met them._

"_I don't know," Hakoda sighed. "He was the closest to the blast, so he's probably the furthest away."_

"_We need to find him," Katara pressed. "Zuko and Azula are looking for him too."_

"_I'll kill them," Toph spat._

"_Go for it," Katara nodded. "But first we have to find Aang. Dad, you stay here with Bato. Toph, Sokka, you up to coming with me?"_

"_Yeah," Sokka grunted, heaving himself off the wall and walking forwards._

"_Toph, can you pick out his heartbeat?"_

"_Not in this crowd," Toph replied, shaking her head as they all hurried forward. "It's too noisy."_

"_He'll be fine," Sokka assured his sister, although it sounded like he was trying to convince himself._

_Katara didn't answer. Instead, she focused all of her energy into getting to the other side of the vast throne room. Part of one wall had completely collapsed, showering stone and rubble onto unsuspecting people. Katara strode past this; she couldn't help those people now. On the other side of the room, a few pillars had crumpled under the force of the explosion and many more looked on their way to do the same. At the side of one pillar that still stood, Katara caught a glimpse of yellow clothing. Without a word to the others, she began to run towards the color, gaining speed the closer she got. A large pile of debris blocked her way as she reached within ten metres of what she suspected to be the unconscious Aang. Her heart pounding in her chest, she scrambled over the chunks of marble with shaking legs. Flinging herself down next to Aang's unmoving body, Katara only needed to take one look to realize that Aang would not be moving again. Lightning had struck in the same place twice, this time colliding with Aang's chest and leaving a gaping black wound._

"_No," she whispered, frantically withdrawing water from her pouch and splashing it onto Aang's chest. Instead of the shimmering light that the water should have made, it sloshed limply on Aang's clothes and chest. Eyes widening, Katara tried to heal him again._

"_I need help!" she screamed to her brother and Toph, both who were trying to reach her. They doubled their efforts and soon clambered over the last hurdle to meet Katara and Aang. "Toph?" Katara asked, her fearful eyes shining with tears._

"_No heartbeat," Toph replied anxiously, after placing her hand on Aang's chest. "But you can heal him, right?"_

"_It's not working," Katara muttered, splashing more and more water onto Aang's chest. She refused to look at his unnaturally pale face, even more afraid to open his eyes in case she might see glassy pupils staring sightlessly back at her. "Dammit, it's not working!"_

_Sokka stood up slowly, taking a few steps back. Toph did the same. Katara knew that both of them were silently crying._

"_Katara…" Sokka whispered, his voice raw. "I think Aang's-"_

"_No!" Katara shouted angrily, spinning sharply around for a moment to glare at her brother. Turning back, she lifted up Aang's limp head with shaking hands, his cold skin registering on hers. "You'll be fine," she whispered to him. But she could feel an unevenness in her palm. Propping Aang up against her lap, Katara withdrew her hand. It was stained with stark crimson blood. She stared at her hand for a moment, before gently but quickly turning over Aang's head. A large slash ran through the arrow on his head, standing out on otherwise pale skin._

"_Looks like we were beaten to it," a voice drawled. Sokka and Toph turned around harshly, each drawing out their weapons. Azula stood on top of a particularly large portion of marble pillar, staring down at those below her with a mock-disappointed expression on her cruel face. Zuko stood next to her silently._

_Katara didn't turn around for a moment. She stroked Aang's head softly, sorry beyond words that she couldn't protect her best friend. Only when she had rested him carefully on the ground did she stand up, shaking with rage. Her fists clenched and water curled around them, eager for revenge._

"_You don't need to worry," Azula called. "You'll be joining him soon."_

_Katara turned slowly, hate blazing in her eyes. Unable to look at Zuko, she focused all her energies onto Azula. Without a word she breathed in heavily and pushed her fists forward. As she breathed out, a tidal wave of water smacked into the Fire Nation siblings. They flew backwards off the marble and landed with a crack on the tiled floor below._

"_Get Aang and alert the others," Katara told her brother, managing to keep her tone steady despite the acid that flowed through her veins. "Toph, get the Firebenders away from the exit. We're leaving."_

"_Where's Ozai?" Sokka asked nervously, gingerly picking Aang up and carrying him in his arms._

"_It doesn't matter," Toph replied quietly. "We need to get out of here."_

_Katara was fighting like she had never fought before. Agony ripped through her chest but it only made her stronger. She was vaguely aware of huge pieces of marble and rock flying past her and into the Fire Nation soldiers, but her eyes were only for the royal family. She struck as fiercely as she could, barely stopping even when she was hit back._

"_We should kill someone you love more often," Azula shouted, her hair beginning to fall down into her face. "You're a much better fighter when you're avenging someone. What do you think, Zuko? Her brother next, maybe?"_

_Zuko didn't reply; his attention had been diverted to a rush of Earth Kingdom warriors running towards him. He was about to strike them when a large boulder slammed into his stomach and he fell back. Toph stood in front of him, her mouth a grim line. She and Katara were a distraction, and they were working only too well._

_The fighting lasted only another minute, in which time the Fire Lord was coming to join the battle. Katara didn't know where he had been and she didn't care. She needed to get herself and others to safety. Aang would have wanted that. She sent short, sharp jets towards Azula, while Toph did the same to Zuko. Slowly but surely, the siblings were being forced back. When they were at a safe enough distance, Katara and Toph quickly retreated._

"_Toph, make a wall," Katara instructed. Toph bended all available materials together and lifted them to the ceiling, forming a narrow but solid wall. While Toph worked on enlarging it, Katara kept enemies at bay, occasionally adding thick ice to the wall. When the girls were done, they fled and joined what was left of their allies in running from the palace, disgraced, defeated and in mourning for the lives that had been so unjustly taken._

* * *

When Katara stopped crying, her head pounded and her throat ached. Resting her head against the soft fabric of Zuko's top, nothing registered as being wrong until she reminded herself of exactly who it was that she sought comfort in. Opening her eyes in a flash, Katara looked around. She didn't know how long she and Zuko had been in the throne room for. It took a moment to remember exactly why he had his arms around her. When it came back to her, she cringed. She had never wanted to share something that personal with him. Yet now here she was, sitting on the numbingly cold tiled floor with the Fire Prince's arms around her.

"Zuko?" she muttered, unsure if he had fallen asleep.

"Yeah?" he asked. His voice was hushed, as though Katara were a frightened animal caught in a trap that he had to talk soothingly to.

"I want to get up," she informed him uncomfortably, squirming slightly.

"Oh, right." He carefully withdrew his arms from around her and stood up quickly. He offered his hand to Katara and she reluctantly took it, letting go sharply once she was upright. If Zuko was surprised at how swiftly she snapped her hand back, he didn't say anything. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

"Yeah," Katara mumbled, not meeting his eyes. She felt so awkward and vulnerable, and that annoyed her. "I'm going back to my room."

"Wait," Zuko said, holding out his arm gently and stopping her in her tracks. Katara raised her eyes grudgingly to meet his, which were filled with concern. "Let me walk you."

"I can go by myself," Katara muttered, jerking her shoulder away from Zuko's hand.

"I'm only trying to help," Zuko frowned.

"Well, you're not!" Katara snapped back, the emotional gate opening again and tears flooding into her eyes. "What, did you think that you just _explain _why you killed my best friend and then suddenly everything's sunshine and flowers between us?"

"Well…kind of, yeah," Zuko admitted, confused. "I did something unbelievably stupid and I'm really sorry for that."

Katara sighed heavily and closed her eyes tightly. She just wanted to go to back to her room and cry a little more in privacy. When she opened her eyes, she saw Zuko watching her.

"I didn't mean to take it out on you," she sighed quietly. "I just need to be alone for awhile."

"Haven't you been alone for long enough?"

Katara looked up at him, her beautiful cerulean eyes sparkling with sadness. He was closer than she had originally realized. She honestly didn't know how to reply, so just kept silent.

"You know, I meant what I said before…about being there for you," Zuko murmured. He too registered their closeness, yet didn't feel the need to pull away. "You've been through so much and I don't want to see you in anymore pain. Recently, I-I've seen you. The real you, I mean."

_You're really messing this one up, _Zuko commended himself sarcastically. _Tell her that you like her and get it over with. Or better yet, just leave it until another time._

"What are you saying?" Katara asked softly, confusion joining the emotions in her eyes.

"I guess I'm saying that I like you," Zuko replied, throwing caution to the wind and ignoring his own advice. "Which is lucky, considering we're getting married."

His weak joke fell flat. Katara kept her eyes averted silently, a small frown on her brow.

"I know that I'm the last person that you'd want to marry, but if you just give me a chance then I know that I can make you forget about what I've done," Zuko said, quietly confident. He took one of her hands in his, suddenly filled with uncertainty and nerves but determined not to let it show.

"I don't want to forget what you've done," Katara whispered, slowly taking her hand out of Zuko's and meeting his eyes. "And I don't want any sort of relationship with you."

She drew back, hesitating for a moment on whether to say anything more. Deciding against it, she turned and walked away. Zuko heard the throne room doors open and then close as she left. He shut his eyes with a heavy sigh. Katara was right. How could he ever get her approval and forgiveness after what he had done? He had apologised repeatedly and that wasn't enough…

_But it should be, _he thought, anger beginning to seep into him. He opened his eyes and scowled. _I've done everything I can to make her feel at home here, comfortable despite everything. I've helped her come to terms with the death of the Avatar. And how has she repaid me? By rejecting and insulting me._

Seething now, he clenched his fists and shot a burst of fire into the empty space.

_She'll regret that. I'll make her regret it._

A plan already formulating in his head, Zuko strode out of the throne room, slamming the door as he went.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Zutara will happen, just not yet. Please don't kill me.**

**Thanks to my incredible reviewers, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a great week!**

**- Momo**


	12. What Have You Done

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

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**A/N: This site was down for me last night, no matter how I tried, I couldn't access the website. From what I hear it was the same with other people. So I got up extra early (on a Monday!! shockhorrorgasp) so you wouldn't have to wait as long for an update. Enjoy!**

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Would you mind if I hurt you? Understand that I need to. Wish that I had other choices than to harm the one I love. I won't show mercy on you now. I have been waiting for someone like you, but now you are slipping away. Why does fate make us suffer? There's a curse between us, between me and you. It's over now…what have you done?

- What Have You Done _by _Within Temptation

* * *

Katara stayed in her room for the remainder of the day, too upset and uncomfortable to even consider leaving. She spent a good hour curled up onto her bed, doing nothing more than crying. She hadn't even bothered to open the curtains, meaning that the room was dark and gloomy. She would worry about what Zuko had told her - and her reaction to it - later. But for now, all she wanted to do was cry out every emotion that she had quashed in the last two years. Everything from pain and anger to sadness and humiliation was wept out in that hour. At the end of it she felt oddly relieved, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Well, not entirely lifted, but definitely not as heavy as it had been before.

To assist in the healing process, Katara drew herself a bath. She allowed a small chuckle to escape her lips when she thought of the horrified expression that would probably appear on Arisu's face when she learned that Katara had done something for herself. Although having servants attend to your every beck and call sounds great on paper, in practice it was a little less brilliant. They wouldn't leave her alone for most of the time, and in the small instances that they did it was either because she was with Zuko or because she demanded alone time. Ironically enough, the majority of the time she spent with Zuko, she demanded alone time.

_I wonder if he's upset with me about before, _Katara wondered lazily, closing her eyes and smiling as the warm water lapped up against her neck, kissing it softly. _Probably. But he'll get over it._

It wasn't until an hour later, when she had gotten out of the bath, dried herself off and dressed in a loose Fire Nation skirt coupled with a plain red top, that she spared another thought for Zuko. Carefully combing her hair in the mirror, she began to bite her lip agitatedly. What if he was angry with her? Would he take it out on anyone else?

A frenzied knock on the door made Katara turn around sharply. The knock sounded too desperate to be angry, so it ruled out the possibility that Zuko had decided that he had an issue with what she had said earlier. Still worried despite her rationalization, she made her way slowly over to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open with apprehension. Arisu stepped inside quickly, glancing around to check that they were alone.

"Lady Arisu," Katara began in confusion, her brow furrowing into a frown. "What-"

"Shut the door," Arisu hissed, gesturing for Katara to comply.

Katara closed the door and locked it, thoroughly puzzled. "Are you okay?"

Arisu, calm now that she knew she was safe, sighed heavily and shook her head. "No. No, I am not."

Katara remained standing by the door, concerned for Arisu and beginning to get a little frightened by her actions.

"Things have changed," Arisu began hesitantly, not meeting Katara's eyes.

"What things?" Katara whispered worriedly, her heart beginning to pound as the wild idea that Arisu knew what Zuko had said before flitted across her mind. When Arisu didn't reply, Katara frowned deeply. "Arisu, what things?"

"Prince Zuko has ordered that I step down as your mentor and cease visiting you."

"He can't do that!" Katara muttered incredulously to herself after a few moments of silence. She snapped her eyes back up angrily. "Tell him no! It's Iroh's decision, Zuko can't just go about giving stupid orders!"

"I'm afraid that, as next in line to the throne, Prince Zuko has every authority to give such commands. I was informed of this decision only minutes ago and when I tried to discuss it with Fire Lord Iroh, I was told that he is unwell. Something about a headache. I can't say that I blame him." Arisu's weak attempt at a joke was lost on Katara, who leant wordlessly against the wall.

"Who will I have instead?" she asked.

"I am unsure right now, but when I know, you will know," Arisu promised. She sighed again and avoided Katara's eyes. "There's something else. Prince Zuko has ordered that the servants be kept away from you. All the servants."

Katara stared, wide-eyed, at Arisu. She couldn't be serious. Without her mentor and Aika and family, Katara was alone in the palace. Zuko wouldn't isolate her like that…unless he really was angry at what she had told him before. Katara's stomach sank horribly and she bitterly regretted her words.

"The servants are all aware of this, and have been threatened with harsh punishments if they approach you or acknowledge you beyond what is respectful. You are not to seek them out unless you are in dire need of something. I assume that you are to dress yourself and apply your own makeup from now on," Arisu sighed, sounding as though she didn't agree with what she was saying at all. "I'm not supposed to be here, but I could not allow you to believe that you had done something wrong when in fact Prince Zuko…" she trailed off uncomfortably. "Katara, did you do or say anything to ignite the Prince's anger?"

Katara nodded dumbly, too stunned that Zuko would stoop this low after she had suffered such a traumatic day to form coherent words. Sensing that Katara wouldn't - or couldn't - say anymore, Arisu merely nodded sadly in return.

"I see. Well I doubt that the Fire Lord will be up for dinner this evening and seeing as you are temporarily between mentors, you will have the rest of the day off. I suggest that you get some rest and _please_ do not antagonize Prince Zuko further," Arisu asked with a defeated sigh.

"I won't," Katara murmured, finding her voice. After all, next time she angered Zuko, it could be the Water Tribes in danger. "Thank you for explaining things to me."

"I'm truly sorry," Arisu said sadly, crossing the room and, after a slight hesitation, embracing Katara. The Waterbender paused before hugging the elder woman back, tears beginning to seep into her eyes. She shut her eyes tightly and ignored the drops now falling down her face; it seemed that once her emotional gate was open, it would be hard to close it again for awhile.

"I'll miss you," Katara whispered. "No one can fold a napkin like you can."

Arisu laughed and stepped out of the hug. She frowned for a moment when she saw Katara crying (after all, it was the first time that she had seen the girl weep) before hastily correcting her expression to one of sympathy.

"Things will get better soon," she promised. "I know it's difficult for someone as headstrong as you," she playfully smiled at Katara, "but if you just follow orders then everything will turn out fine."

"I hope so," Katara whispered, unlocking her door and opening it. "Thank you for everything."

Arisu touched Katara's shoulder maternally before quickly slipping out of the room. Katara locked her door again, defeated. With fresh tear tracks on her face, she made her way over to her bed in a daze and slumped down on it. She placed her head in her hands, unable to believe what had just happened or how Zuko could be so cruel. He knew how fragile she was; she had only just come to terms with the death of her best friend at his hands. Wasn't throwing another obstacle in her path to happiness a little extreme considering it was only a couple of hours after she had completely broken down in front of him?

Her head spinning with unanswerable questions, Katara lay back on her bed and stared upwards at the canopy. She didn't see the deep red of the woven silk above her; she saw all the happy times that she had shared with her friends and brother. Even things that had seemed disastrously bad at the start, such as being held captive by the insane King Bumi and narrowly avoiding further captures, she looked back on somewhat fondly. After all, back then they were all together and always seemed to escape unhurt. Turns out it wasn't meant to last. When Katara remembered being tied to a tree by Zuko, her mind wandered to ten years in the future. Everyone expected her to have given birth by then to beautiful, strong children who would someday go on to rule the nation. Skipping the part where Katara actually had to make the children (she was _not _ready to think about that), an odd little montage began to play in her head:

"_Mommy, how did you meet Daddy?" a small boy asked, perched on Katara's knee. His eyes were wickedly golden and his hair the darkest shade of black._

"_Well, son," Katara laughed, throwing a quick glance behind her to where Zuko was standing proudly, his hand resting lovingly on her shoulder, "I first met him when he stormed into my village and demanded that I hand over the Avatar. I saw him around a few times after that, mainly when he was chasing me, Uncle Sokka and Aang, and when he took me captive and tied me to a tree, but it wasn't really until after he had killed my best friend, threatened my home and forced me to marry him that I really found that I loved him."_

_Zuko and the child laughed, and Katara quickly joined in, careful not to jostle her heavily pregnant stomach._

Katara snapped out of the unnerving vision. _Well that was odd._ But was that what it would be like? Was she really resigned to a fate that someone had forced upon her? Even as she wondered these questions, Katara knew that the scene she had just imagined would not happen. That was an ideal version, one where her teeth were too white, her skin too smooth and her hair too styled. Fake, in other words. However, thinking about children had worried her now. From what Arisu and the other nobles had said, Katara would be expected to share a bed - and more - with Zuko on their wedding night. The thought made her shudder. Even if she was madly in love, she was barely sixteen and not ready to…express her love physically.

_See, even thinking about it makes me uncomfortable, _Katara scowled. _If the Fire Nation is as stable as it pretends to be, then I'm sure it can wait another few years for heirs. Or we could always adopt._

Somehow she knew that Zuko would dismiss this idea, but the thought still comforted her. She would persuade Zuko to move the date of the wedding to a few weeks later, he would listen and, while he was at it, tell her that she could go home safely and never be bothered by the Fire Nation again. _There's that ideal world again._

With a loud sigh, Katara shifted over onto her side and frowned. The room was unnecessarily dark. It was probably a beautiful day outside, and she shouldn't waste it indoors. Aang wouldn't want her to. Although sadness washed through her at the thought of his name, the pain was bearable. Now that she had accepted that Aang was dead and wasn't trying to push the pain down inside her, it was easier to think of him and remember the good times that they had shared. Sliding off her bed and ambling over to the curtains, Katara pulled them apart and squinted as sunlight streamed in through the windows. Knowing that Aang would never again feel the warmth of the day, Katara resolved to feel it for him.

She fiddled with the locks for a moment before the windows opened and a soothing breeze filled the room. She breathed in with a smile, relishing the fresh air. Stepping onto the stone balcony for the first time since she had arrived in the Fire Nation, she let the pleasant heat envelop her and peered around at her surroundings. Beyond the lush, thick trees she could make out the wall that surrounded the palace, reminding her that freedom was just an illusion as long as she lived here. Ignoring the oppressive wall, Katara put her elbows on the railing of the stone balcony and leant forwards. Brief worries that the balcony would not support her weight vanished as she made herself comfortable and closed her eyes, listening to the birds twitter and the sound of her own breathing. Distractions were nice. After a while, however, her elbows began to ache slightly and her back started to throb. Reluctantly standing upright, she paused for a moment before peeking over the balcony. A thick hedge ran around a small, secluded area beneath the balcony which, when added to the wall of the palace, was completely cut off from anywhere else. A tree grew just inside of the area, only slightly taller than the large hedge but just as lush. Grass the colour of emeralds covered the area entirely, right up until the wall. Continuing the natural theme, thick vines snaked up the wall, continuing past the balcony and beyond.

The moment she laid eyes on it, Katara knew that she wanted to go down there. The hedge was definitely high enough to shield her from the outside world and there were no windows beneath Katara's, meaning that there was no chance she would be seen unless someone stood on the balcony. This small garden would be hers, her own private place to go when things got too much, as she soon suspected that they would. Better yet, no one could get down there unless they jumped, which would be an incredibly stupid thing to do because the balcony was high up off the ground. Then again, that meant that she had no way of getting down there either. Momentarily stumped, Katara glanced around for inspiration. Her eyes caught on the vines on the wall. Thick as they were, they were unlikely to support her weight. So she would just have to improvise. Turning to face the vines, she extended her hands and concentrated on the water flowing through the plant. She delicately uncrossed the vines, all the while careful not to break any of them apart from the wall, and formed them into a makeshift ladder. The rungs on the 'ladder' were barely thick enough to stand on or hold onto, but Katara knew that she would think of a better way to get back up once she was down there. Tentatively hoisting herself up onto the edge of the balcony, she began to appreciate how big the drop was to the ground. Still, if she was scared then she wouldn't get anywhere. Leaning across, she grabbed hold of the top vine/step and held onto it fiercely. With a deep breath, she flung herself off the balcony.

For a moment, she was in the air, certain that the vine wouldn't stay connected and she would fall to her death. The vine ripped a little, but otherwise remained fine. As her heart hammered wildly, Katara's feet scrambled for a rung on the ladder. When they met something firm and stood on it, she breathed again.

"This was not the best of plans," she muttered, trying to control her heartbeat. She remained standing for a few more moments before gathering up the courage to move back down. Trembling, she took one foot off the ladder and felt around for the next vine. When she found it, she moved one hand down. She carried on like this until she was at the bottom and in the garden, which looked even more beautiful than it had done from the balcony. Taking off her shoes, she allowed the grass to tickle in between her toes. With a smile, she sat down in the middle of the space and looked around. While this wasn't exactly the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole, it had the same feeling of peace and serenity in it…just minus the magic fish.

"I miss you, Aang," Katara whispered, entwining her fingers in the grass. "But I think that you'd be proud of me. I've managed to last a whole month without killing Zuko. I've only got the rest of my life to go…and then I'll get to see you again. We'll get to do all those things that you never got to do. And hey, when Sokka joins us, it'll be like old times. Then we'll find Toph somewhere and we'll be a family again." Tears began to fill her eyes as she continued talking to her best friend. She let them fall and mingle with the grass. After a while, she trailed off into silence and let her tears speak what her words could not.

For hours, she sat in the grass. At one point, when the heat got a little too much, she moved to under the shade of the large tree. She had stopped crying by this time and was merely thinking. Thinking about how things would've turned out if Aang hadn't died and thinking about how things would turn out now that he had. She tried to think of a solution to her problems, although it was night time before she finally gave up and climbed her way back to her room. It turned out that climbing in the dark was much more difficult than climbing down in the daylight, but she managed it somehow. Not bothering to get undressed, she made sure the windows were locked and slid into her bed, closing her eyes and going to sleep. For the first time in years, her dreams were not haunted by flashes of lightning and falling figures.

* * *

When Katara woke up, she had a plan. She had to show Zuko that he would not rule her life, even if she did it secretly. He wanted to keep her locked away and away from people. But she would escape for awhile and meet new friends. She had been planning on sneaking into the city anyway, now she just had to do it without Aika's help. A million scenarios flashed into her mind as to how she would get past the guards, and she had one all picked out. She would insist that Iroh needed medicine and he was the only one he trusted enough to get it for her. She would say that Prince Zuko agreed and allowed her to leave for a couple of hours. Granted, it probably wouldn't work but it was worth a shot. The earlier she went, the better, so she began pulling new clothes on almost as soon as she got up out of bed.

Inspecting herself briefly in the mirror, Katara deemed that her flowing skirt, similar to the one that she wore yesterday, and modest peasant top were suitable enough to get her past the guards but not be noticed in the city. She couldn't do anything about the color of her skin, which was bound to stand out amongst the ghostly pale Fire Nation citizens, but she applied a thin layer of makeup and let her hair flow freely. She grabbed a wicker basket that held dried flowers, emptied the flowers carelessly onto the floor and placed the basket handle over her arm. This would prove useful in her 'collecting medicine' alibi. She also picked a jacket from her wardrobe and lay it smoothly at the bottom of the basket. She doubted that the weather would turn; the jacket was for if people began to get suspicious and she had to cover herself to stop them from figuring out who she was. Just in case anyone noticed she was missing, Katara reached for the nearest writing materials and left a note on her bed saying that she would be back shortly.

More than a little nervous about what she was about to do, Katara made sure that her water pouch was filled up before locking her door and carefully making her way down the corridor. If Zuko saw her then she was in trouble, but it seemed that he was nowhere to be found. Traipsing through the unnervingly quiet hallways, Katara tried to make as little sound as possible when she passed rooms that she knew people resided in. It wasn't until she reached the entrance hall that she began to breathe again. The first potential obstacle had been avoided. Now she just had to persuade the guards.

The guards at the main doors let her pass without comment, probably thinking that she would only be sent back by the guards at the gate. Katara smiled at them but also remained silent. She guessed that the guards had been forbidden to talk to her as well.

She barely noticed the beauty of nature or the pleasantness of the weather as she walked shakily down the path that led to the gate and fleeting freedom. The guards saw her approach and she could almost hear them groan. She fixed what she hoped was a dazzling smile in place.

"Good morning," she greeted. "I need to get past."

"I'm afraid that that will not be possible, Lady Katara," the guard on the left replied carefully.

"Oh, but Fire Lord Iroh is ill and he sent me to…" seeing that the guards were already sceptical, she trailed off and sighed. "You know what, never mind."

She sharply drew out a water whip and smacked both of the guards across their unprotected heads with it. The liquid hit its intended target and both guards crumpled into unconsciousness.

"Sorry boys," she shrugged as she surreptitiously stepped over their forms and tried to heave open the gate. It took half a minute to open, but eventually Katara wrenched it ajar. "You should really get a better gate."

_They are _not_ going to be happy with me later, _she mused. _Ah well, I can always say that they're lying if they tell Zuko that I escaped._

She practically ran the long way downhill to the city, so afraid was she that she would be seen. By the time she had reached the bottom of the slope, her chest was tight and she was struggling for breath. Standing in the shadow of a building, she took a moment to regain her composure. As it dawned on her that she was free, she began to feel giddy.

It was still somewhat early and so the city was not as busy as she was sure that it would be later on. Still, as she walked into the market, some of the stallholders had set up and were shouting their wares in loud, carrying voices. A few people glanced disinterestedly over the products before moving on to the next stall. Katara however lingered at each stall, amazed by some of the foods on sale. Most she recognized but she came across the odd few that were completely unknown.

"Would you care for a free sample of salted squish?" one stallholder asked Katara, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Katara looked up and blushed as she realized that she had been standing at the same stall for over five minutes.

"Salted squish?" she repeated with a laugh. "That isn't seriously a food, is it?"

"Of course it is," replied the good natured stallholder. "It's a cross between a squid and a fish."

"I thought a squid was a fish," Katara frowned in bemusement, the smile still playing on her lips.

"Do you want some or not?" the stallholder laughed, picking up a rubbery looking piece of meat close to the back of the stall and handing it out.

"Thank you," Katara smiled, taking the meat and gingerly beginning to eat it. The stallholder watched for her reaction eagerly. Katara swallowed and nodded in thoughtful approval. "Squishy."

"It's the next big thing to hit the Fire Nation. Tell your friends," the stallholder joked.

Katara's face fell drastically at his last sentence, but she managed to maintain a forced smile. "Yeah."

With one last polite smile, she quickly hurried on. The salted squish settled uncomfortably in her otherwise empty stomach. Wishing that she had thought to buy some money for food, Katara regretfully passed by various more stalls. Some of the stallholders glared at her with hostility if she lingered too long, while others engaged her in conversation. Some commented on her obviously not being from the Fire Nation, to which she replied that her family had moved here before she was born. After each conversation like this, she would silently thank whatever deity was currently watching over her that Zuko hadn't forced her to make a public speech yet, because otherwise everyone would know who she was.

After about half an hour of chatting and perusing things she couldn't buy, Katara noticed that she was being watched by an elderly woman from her doorway. Katara smiled hesitantly at the woman who slowly smiled back. Katara turned for a moment, intent on inspecting another stall before deciding against it and facing the woman again. However, the woman had gone. Frowning slightly, Katara went back to the market stalls and tried to talk her way into free food. It was successful for the most part, although admittedly she laughed a little more than was necessary and may have fluttered her eyelashes once or twice.

Following an adequate breakfast considering she hadn't paid for anything, she was considering going back. She hadn't nearly seen the whole city, but she had been gone for over an hour and didn't want Zuko seeing she was gone and doing something drastic, as he was prone to do. However, just as she was about to head back in the direction of the palace, the elderly woman that had been watching her before appeared again and approached her.

"Hello," she smiled, her voice pleasantly smooth despite her wrinkled face, white hair and missing teeth. "I was wondering if you would like to have your fortune told."

"I'm sorry, I don't have any money," Katara said apologetically, beginning to walk again.

"I don't charge anything," the woman called after her. "I just enjoy reading people and advising them on the path that destiny will take them. Also, I have some dough in the oven that would go nicely with the cups of tea I've prepared."

Katara turned back hesitantly. "Okay," she smiled after a moment. The offer of food did sound nice, and besides which the woman was offering her fortunetelling services for free. "You don't happen to know anyone named Aunt Wu, do you?"

"Aunt who?"

"No, Aunt Wu," Katara replied with a smile, repeating the man who had corrected Sokka all those years ago just before they had visited Aunt Wu's village.

"No, sorry dear," the old woman said, her smile tinged with confusion. "My home is this way, please follow me."

"Okay," Katara mumbled, throwing a glance backwards towards the palace. She wouldn't stay for long at the woman's house, just long enough to get her fortune told and eat. Then she would slip back into the palace unnoticed. She followed the woman back to the marketplace and into a small house, all the while wondering if this was a good idea. The woman's house smelled of the delicious aroma of baking, with a slight undercurrent of something Katara couldn't quite place.

"Please, sit down," the woman smiled, leading Katara towards the back of the house and indicating a wooden table and the battered chairs that surrounded it. Katara took an awkward seat as the woman went into another room and began bustling about in the kitchen.

"My name is Juna, by the way," the woman called from the kitchen.

"I'm Kat…ana. Katana." Katara mentally winced as she almost gave out her real name.

"Katana?" Juna repeated curious. "What an unusual name."

"My parents were fans of swords," Katara laughed sheepishly, miming slapping herself on her forehead for her stupidity.

She sat in silence for another couple of minutes while the baking fragrance grew stronger and caused her mouth to water. Everything in Juna's home was very old fashioned, from the large Fire Nation insignia held proudly in the main room to the faded paintings of times long since gone. A rickety door stood on its last hinges just behind her.

"Here we go dear," Juna said proudly, walking out of the kitchen with a plateful of savory snacks. "Help yourself."

"Thank you," Katara smiled, picking up the nearest warm bun and biting into it happily. Delicious warm dough filled her mouth. She quickly devoured the bun hungrily.

"Shall we begin?" Juna asked, watching Katara eat with a smile. "I've got some tea boiling, but I can always re-heat it later."

"Yeah, sure, now is good," Katara nodded, hastily wiping her hands on her skirt so that they were clean and offering her palm to the elderly woman who took it.

"I can tell straight away that you are passionate and strong," Juna mused, barely glancing at Katara's palm before looking at the girl again. She went back to examining her palm. "But you have had tragedy in your life…dear me, a lot of tragedy. And some lucky escapes too, it seems."

"Yep, that's me. Little Miss Lucky," Katara muttered.

"You will marry a powerful bender," Juna predicted.

"What?" Katara asked, her eyes growing wide. She didn't listen as Juna repeated herself, too caught up in realization to pay attention. Hadn't Aunt Wu said the exact same thing when she had read Katara's fortune? In a cruelly ironic way, that prediction would prove to be true.

"You can't tell me that you're surprised," Juna said, her tone changing dramatically. "After all, the Fire Prince isn't likely to be weak now, is he?"

Katara snatched her hand back and stood up sharply, knocking over her chair as she scrambled away.

"You knew?" she whispered, her heart pounding.

"Of course I knew," Juna laughed, remaining seated and calm. "As if your obvious nationality didn't give it away, you don't see many peasants dressed the way you are. But you don't need to worry, I wouldn't dream of hurting the future Fire Lady."

"Then why keep me here?" Katara asked, the sinking feeling in her stomach telling her that she already knew.

"So that Prince Zuko can come and collect you, of course. It's hardly befitting of his betrothed to go around wandering the streets now, is it?"

Panic descending on her world, Katara ran blindly to the front of the house. She tried tugging the door open, but it was of course locked. Peering desperately outside the windows, she saw two armed guards guarding the door. She was too late for escape. The only question was, where was…

"So, you got your fortune told. Hear anything interesting?"

Katara turned around slowly, her breath catching in her chest as she tried to reply without her voice shaking. "Nothing that I didn't already know."

"Shame," Zuko replied acidly. "I was hoping that you'd find out exactly what made you think you could escape."

"I was going to come back," Katara protested weakly. "I left a note."

"I must have missed it," Zuko hissed, taking two quick strides and stopping directly in front of Katara. She had to stop herself from showing any signs of fear. "Don't think that this will go unpunished."

He gripped her upper arm and forced her across the room to the back of the house where he had made his entrance through the back door. Juna cheerfully handed him Katara's basket and bowed to them both as they exited.

"One last thing," Katara called back, trying to delay Zuko's anger for a few more seconds. "Will I have mango or papaya for my breakfast tomorrow?"

"Papaya," Juna called back happily with a little wave.

"Figures," Katara muttered darkly, Zuko's fingers dug painfully into her upper arm as he wordlessly but furiously pulled her around a corner. There, the royal carrier was waiting to send them back to the palace. Zuko all but shoved Katara up the steps and threw her basket in before following, a menacing scowl on his face. Katara sat down nervously on one of the cushions, holding the basket closer to her for protection.

"Zuko…" she began uncomfortably.

"Don't speak," he warned her dangerously, heat beginning to fill the enclosed space. Katara shrank further back against the cushions at his tone. "I told you not to go out of the palace. You assaulted my guards and disobeyed me."

Katara nodded, keeping her eyes low. She did not want to infuriate Zuko anymore than she had already done when they were in such a small space with no witnesses. With a jerk, the men outside picked the carrier up and it began to move steadily.

"I don't think you quite grasp the concept of being engaged to me. Basically, when I tell you to do something, you do it. When I tell you not to do something, the thought shouldn't even enter your mind," he continued, his voice darker than ever.

"I had to do something," Katara argued with a frown. "I had no one to talk to since you banned everyone I liked from seeing me."

"That was the point," Zuko hissed, his eyes boring coldly into hers. "Sooner or later, you'll have to realize that I'm all you've got."

"You will never be all that I have," she hissed, sadness and fury mixing in her voice.

"How are your family?" Zuko asked suddenly, hitting below the belt. "Heard from them recently?"

Katara bit her lip and looked away, painfully aware that no one had tried to contact her as of late.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. But before Zuko could answer, she cut across. "Is it because of what I said to you yesterday?"

"It's because you need to learn that you can't depend on the help of servants if you're going to be my wife." He paused thoughtfully. "And yes, it's because of what you said to me yesterday."

Katara was left speechless. The carrier continued on moving in silence for a few minutes.

"Everything you do reflects back onto me," he said. Katara didn't know if it was her imagination, but he sounded as though he was trying to quash an apologetic tone. "When you mingle with servants-"

"You know that it had nothing to do with their social class," Katara interrupted with a scowl. "You just wanted to isolate me."

Zuko shrugged, allowing that. "But when you specifically go against what I instructed, word spreads like wildfire and soon everyone thinks that I can't control my future wife."

"Yes, because I'm my own person and you can't control me!"

"If I can't control you then why are you marrying me?" Zuko asked calmly, raising his eyebrow inquisitively. "It isn't a question of control, it's a question of how far I have to go until you start following my orders."

Katara's heart began to beat rapidly as his chilling words sank in. He was subtly threatening her, saying that he had no boundaries when it came to gaining respect as the future Fire Lord. She suppressed a shiver as it came back to her that this was the man she had to spend the rest of her life with.

"Fine," she whispered after a moment, giving in for the moment. "But I don't see how you think this will get my affection. Blackmailing me into marrying you really doesn't make me like you."

"The wedding is being moved back a couple of weeks anyway," Zuko shrugged casually.

"What?" Katara frowned, sure that he was toying with her.

"My uncle is ill, didn't you know?" Zuko asked disinterestedly. "He's only got a slight headache, but you know the way he overreacts. He said that he was determined to attend, but that I should push the wedding back to be on the safe side."

Katara allowed herself a small smile. Iroh must have heard about Zuko's actions and decided to even out the score a little. She silently thanked him.

They spent the rest of the carrier journey in silence. Katara was torn between rage and slight fear at Zuko and gratitude towards Iroh. She didn't know what was going through Zuko's twisted head at that moment, and for that she was grateful. She was at a loss as to what to do for the moment. Despite his powerful vindictive streak, she had seen Zuko's good side as well, so why was he being so cruel? There was no need to force her into loneliness.

"Who will my new mentor be?" she asked, just before the carrier halted to a stop.

"I've got a few people in mind," Zuko replied cagily. "One of which you'll meet today. Arisu was too lenient. I won't let another woman make that mistake with you again."

"Thanks," Katara replied sarcastically. "Will I even be able to go out of my room?"

"Yes," Zuko replied, for the first time avoiding eye contact. "But not the palace."

"Not even the grounds?" Katara asked, horrified as he stood up and walked down the steps of the carrier.

"I know that you think I'm being too harsh, but it's for your own good," Zuko sighed, offering her his hand as she stepped out of the carrier. She stubbornly refused to take it.

"For _your _own good, you mean," she spat, stalking off in the direction of the palace entrance.

The carrier had stopped just inside the palace walls, which forced Katara to walk past the guards she had attacked before. They gave her cautious looks.

"Sorry," she muttered insincerely to them as she passed, feeling the eyes of everyone in the area burn into her back.

The sun was too bright and the ground too dry as she walked heatedly up the path to the palace. Everything that had looked beautiful a couple of hours ago had now been spoiled by things that had so drastically wrong in such a short space of time. Even the usual shady relief of the palace hallways held no solace for Katara as she trailed her way back to her bedroom. Anger gave way to sadness the moment she slammed her door shut and bolted it. A small pile of scrolls lay on her bedside table. Curiously, she began to unravel them and read them one by one. They were from her family. Her family, who Zuko insinuated had abandoned her.

_How are you? I hope you're eating healthily, _one letter from her Gran Gran started. Another letter was from Sokka, begging to be let in on the secret of stewing sea prunes. A further three letters were from her father, each one getting gradually more insistent that she reply.

_How long ago were these sent? _she wondered. _And why have I only gotten them now?_

Before she could begin to write back, there was a short, sharp rap on her door. With an ominous sinking feeling, Katara stood up and slowly walked over to the door, unlocking it with dread. After all, everyone who would normally be knocking on her door had been banned from seeing her.

But wait. A twitchy young servant girl stood in the corridor, shifting uncomfortably and keeping her eyes downwards.

"I have been sent to tell you that you're expecting visitors in two hours," the girl mumbled, so low and nervous that Katara had to strain to hear her. "Prince Zuko will send a dress up shortly and says that you should start getting ready."

"Thank you," Katara said, summoning a smile and trying to sound convincing. "Do you know who the visitors are?"

"No, my Lady," the girl whispered, her voice shaking. "But apparently they're important."

Knowing the mood Zuko was in, he had probably managed to resurrect his father and was intending to have afternoon tea.

"Right," Katara sighed. The girl bowed quickly and started to turn away, but Katara called her back. "Could you tell Aika and Ryo that I'm sorry I can't see them anymore?"

The child bit her lip, uncertainty shining in her eyes. "I was told that I'm not allowed to tell people what you said."

"Of course," Katara murmured sadly after a moment. "Of course you were. Thank you for the message."

The girl took this as a dismissal and, after bowing again, hurried off down the corridor. Katara shut the door with a heavy heart. So Zuko had set up another meeting with important people. A meeting in which no doubt she would be ridiculed and humiliated. What a way to spend an afternoon.

The two hours in which she had to get ready passed by unnervingly quickly. The dress that Zuko had had the servants bring up was surprisingly beautiful. It was red, of course, but a luxurious shade of the color. The texture was thick and pleasant to touch, from the sleeveless top down to the hem that barely missed brushing the floor. Oddly enough, it was not a dress for a special occasion. Katara would have worn it for casual meetings with friends, not visiting important guests. Still, she supposed that the guests shouldn't think that she had something to prove.

Brushing her hair so thoroughly that it shone, Katara checked over her reflection one last time and deemed herself presentable. A few minutes later there was another knock at her door. An older servant was waiting to escort her to wherever she was meeting these guests. The woman bowed respectfully but otherwise made no indication that Katara was there as she led her through the corridors. She came to a stop outside a door that Katara had not seen before and opened it, gesturing for her to step inside. She thanked the woman quietly before stepping over the threshold.

Bright light shone in through the windows, illuminating a cheerful looking room holding little more than a bookshelf filled with dusty books and a comfortable looking couch. Zuko stood just at the side of the door and glanced at her as she entered the room. But her shocked eyes were not upon him.

They rested on the couch. Or, more specifically, who sat on the couch. The two that she had not expected to see again.

**

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**

A/N:

**I suppose it was a little cruel, cutting off like that. But I've got a game for you: guess who's sitting on the couch (: Winner gets...hmm...part of the next chapter early. Winner will be chosen Friday night. Let me know if my random game is annoying you XD**

"**What Have You Done" is my favourite Within Temptation song, and you really appreciate how many times the song actually says 'what have you done' when you see the band live :P If I haven't used your song suggestion yet, then don't worry. I'll most likely use it, but I have a couple of song lyrics in mind for particular chapters. But one day, just to screw up the system, I think I might put something completely irrelevant like "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" from the Avenue Q soundtrack. Y'know, just to be awkward -smiles-.**

**Thank you very much to all my amazing reviewers for the last chapter, that was the most reviews I've ever gotten :D Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter (I couldn't resist the 'salted squish' thing XD) and have a great week!**

**- Momo (who, in case you can't tell, is randomly happy because she finally finished her Sociology coursework!!)**


	13. 4 Words To Choke Upon

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

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_Betrayed one more time, but somewhere down that line you're gonna get what's coming to you. Pull it out from my back, soon I'm the one that's on attack, can't wait to return the favor. Too many times I've seen it rip a hole into our friendship. This is how it's been, how it always will be. You think you're above me, well now I'm here to envy. Four words to choke upon: look at me now._

- 4 Words (To Choke Upon) _by _Bullet For My Valentine

* * *

"Katara," Zuko acknowledged, his suspiciously smooth and calm voice putting Katara even more alert as she stared at the young women sitting before her. "You remember Mai and Ty Lee." It wasn't a question, more of an outright dare to challenge him. Katara ignored his unspoken challenge.

"Of course," she said after a moment, inclining her head to both of them while trying to force a smile onto her face. What in the name of Gods were Azula's friends doing here? The only answer that Katara could think of was a resounding: nothing good. "Welcome to the palace."

"Thanks," Ty Lee smiled in her happy voice, visibly bouncing in the couch.

Mai was less impressed. She flicked a disparaging glance upwards in Katara's direction before looking back down disinterestedly and speaking in her monotone voice, dripping with insincerity. "Thank you."

There was an awkward silence. Katara's fake smile slowly slipped as she unsuccessfully tried to think of something else to say. Just as she was about to open her mouth, a horrible thought struck her. Zuko had mentioned something about meeting her future mentor today. What if it was Mai? Zuko would be stupid enough to set something like that up, but would he be cruel enough? Judging by today's performance, Katara would say yes.

"So what brings you here?" she asked, trying to sound cheerful but at the same time respectful. If she stepped one toe out of line, Zuko would probably lock her in her room. It was ridiculous that she was so afraid of disobeying someone that she could fight, but Zuko had to realize that what he was doing was foolish. Katara couldn't force him to see it.

"I invited them," Zuko said, answering a question that was obviously not aimed at him. "They'll be staying for a couple of weeks. I trust that's okay."

_You're making it pretty clear that I don't have a choice, _Katara inwardly grumbled, but nodded anyway.

"I haven't been to the palace in quite a while," Ty Lee murmured wistfully, staring thoughtfully off into space. "How are the turtle ducks?"

"They're the fuzzy things that live in the pond, right?" Katara asked, determined to keep in the conversation.

"Right," Ty Lee nodded enthusiastically. Apparently she, unlike Zuko and Mai, had let go of her past prejudices towards Katara and was grinning warmly at her.

"Then the last time I checked, they were fine. As fuzzy as ever," Katara replied with a smile. Ty Lee's outgoing nature and genuine happiness was infectious, and if Katara wasn't careful then she'd forget where she was.

"Lunch will be served soon," Zuko said irritably, annoyed that Ty Lee was being friendly with someone he thought that she had no right to be friendly to. "We should go and sit down."

"Are we going to the dining room or somewhere more private?" Mai asked, her voice rising slightly with interest. The way she said the word 'private' made Katara glance at her suspiciously. After all, Zuko and Mai had dated, even if Zuko dismissed it as a mistake.

"I thought we'd go to my bedroom," Zuko answered with a dismissive shrug, as though he invited people to dine in his room everyday.

"Just like old times then," Mai said with a smirk, standing up and swiftly crossing the room to stand in between Zuko and Katara.

_Oh, I did _not _want to know that! _Katara thought with an inward shudder. Something had niggled at her stomach after Mai's words, but Katara dismissed it as hunger.

"Go on ahead," Zuko encouraged the Fire Nation girls. "There's something that I need to get. I'll only be a few minutes."

Mai and Ty Lee filed out, Ty Lee excitably discussing the prospect of seeing the turtle ducks again and Mai sounding like she couldn't care less. Then it was just Zuko and Katara left in the room. Katara avoided eye contact as Zuko walked over to the bookcase and began scanning the shelves.

"You could have told me that they were coming," she mumbled after a few moments.

Zuko paused in what he was doing to turn around. "Would it have made a difference if I had?"

"Well, yes," Katara replied, confused. "Because then I would know that they were coming. Hence the difference."

"That wasn't what I meant," Zuko said, watching Katara intently. When she stared blankly back, he scowled and turned away. "Never mind."

"Why did you invite them?" Katara asked, more specifically meaning Mai but not wanting to say this out loud.

"They're old friends," he replied carelessly, perusing the books more quickly now.

"I thought you and Mai were more than friends," Katara muttered, picking at her fingernails distractedly.

"Careful. I might think that you were jealous," Zuko smirked, turning around again and raising his eyebrow.

Katara flushed, much to her embarrassment. "No, I -" she stammered, unable to get her words out and frowning. "I was just curious."

"Right," Zuko agreed sarcastically, running his finger gently along the top of a row of books.

"I thought you were looking for a book, or did you just say that so you could talk to me?" Katara asked, annoyed that Zuko had caught her out.

"A little of both," he shrugged, examining the spines of the books and their titles. "Mainly the book."

"Can I help?" Katara asked, craning her neck to see the bookcase.

"Only if you know where I can find the book which Ty Lee used to keep all of her pressed flowers safe from Azula."

"That'd be a no then," Katara answered slowly.

"I thought as much," Zuko said with a small laugh. He sighed and straightened up before turning around. "About this morning…"

Katara looked at him, trying not to look too hopeful or expectant. What did she want him to say? That he was sorry how he had treated her?

Zuko didn't speak for a few moments. "The fortune teller that you went to see is known across the Fire Nation. You were lucky that she read you without an appointment," he finally decided on saying, blurting out his words in a rush.

"Oh," Katara said, unable to hide her disappointment. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Yeah," Zuko agreed quietly, mentally facepalming himself for not saying what he wanted to say.

"I should go and join Mai and Ty Lee," Katara said awkwardly after a minute of silence.

"Do you know where my room is?"

"No," Katara admitted.

"Then you should wait for me," Zuko replied with another small laugh. "Unless you want to get lost and wander aimlessly around the palace for a few hours."

"That depends on what the topic of conversation will be at lunch," Katara teased. She found that she was less careful about choosing her words the way she had been just minutes ago, and this greatly surprised her. Still, the barriers weren't down yet.

"I'll try to make it interesting," Zuko said flatly, his voice not holding much promise.

"Thanks," Katara replied, her voice equally monotone. "It means a lot."

Zuko, finally deciding to give up on searching for the book, walked to Katara and opened the door for her. She looked at him cautiously. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"This is about as chivalrous as I get," he warned.

"Well, in that case thank you," Katara replied slowly, walking through the door. She waited until she and Zuko had been walking for a few moments before speaking again. "Was there really a book that Ty Lee used to keep pressed flowers in?"

"There's probably one somewhere in the palace," Zuko replied with a small smile and a shrug.

Katara looked at him curiously but remained silent.

* * *

Mai was lounging lazily on one of the comfortable chairs in Zuko's room, with Ty Lee happily leaning against on of the wooden chair legs when Zuko pushed open the door and strolled inside. He walked straight over to his closed curtains and flung them open, casting light into the room. Katara, who stood awkwardly beside the door, squinted and shied away from the light.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come in?" Mai asked, her voice tinged with mocking amusement.

"Oh, right," Katara mumbled, shutting the door and taking a few steps inside.

Zuko's room, despite the crimson coloring, was very cold and impersonal. A large double bed dominated the center of the room, but Katara tried not to focus on this. Three chairs like the one Mai was sprawled on were dotted around the room, their apparently random pattern confusing her for a moment. She cautiously made her way over to the chair closest to the door and perched on its edge, too ill at ease to even pretend to make herself comfortable. The smooth wood was hard and cold beneath her.

"So what are we going to do today?" Ty Lee asked, fiddling absently with a strand of her light brunette hair. "After lunch, I mean."

"I don't know," Zuko shrugged, taking the last seat. "You haven't been to the palace for a few months, do you remember where everything is?"

"We've visited here basically everyday since we were children," Mai drawled with a foreign smile. "I'm sure we can figure out where to go."

"Maybe you can show me around, then," Katara offered with a nervous smile. "I've been here for over a month and I'm still not sure where I'm going half of the time."

Mai looked at her coldly. "Would you like me to draw you a map?" she asked sarcastically.

"No," Katara murmured, looking back down at her hands, embarrassed. "No, that's okay."  
"When you have any _real _suggestions, let me know," Mai said to Zuko, the hard edge to her voice melting instantly and giving way to light joking.

_Suck up, _Katara thought sulkily, regretting even attempting friendly chatter. It was clear that Mai did not think that a Water Tribe peasant was suitable material for marrying Zuko, and she had only been in Katara's presence for a few minutes. The next few days were not going to be fun.

After a few minutes of friendly conversations (none of which involved Katara) there came a knock on Zuko's door.

"Come," Zuko instructed. Katara looked at the door expectantly, her stomach begging for food.

Two servants came in, keeping their eyes respectfully low and setting fancy plates down in front of each of the teenagers. Katara was the only one to murmur her thanks. It seemed that even when the Prince was only eating socially, he and his guests had to have the very best; a few moments after her plate had been put down, a further four servants entered the room, each carrying small wooden tables which the set down next to the plates. As the servants picked up the plates and carefully put them down onto the tables, Katara couldn't help but think that it would've been easier to bring the tables in first. Still, she wasn't going to say anything; her stomach was too eager for food.

After the servants left, wishing that the Prince, Lady Katara and guests would have a pleasant lunch, Katara followed what Mai and Zuko were doing and slid off her chair. Kneeling before her table, she eyed the food speculatively. It appeared to be raw fish with rice, which was one of her favorite Fire Nation dishes and could be eaten with her hands. She kept quiet as she ate her lunch, fixing her eyes downward so she could not be instigated into conversation. Even after she had finished, her knees did not ache though she must have been there for awhile. Zuko's soft, plush carpet ensured comfort.

"That was good," Ty Lee commented after she had swallowed the last mouthful.

"Yeah," Katara agreed thoughtfully. "It's got to be the least spicy thing in the Fire Nation."

"You don't like spices?" Ty Lee asked, wide-eyed.

"They're growing on me," Katara shrugged. "Being from the Water Tribes the range of food was pretty much just penguin or seal meat. Unlucky if you were a vegetarian."

Ty Lee giggled and even Zuko looked on the verge of a smile. Mai glowered in another direction.

"I heard that the Avatar was a vegetarian," Mai said, a spiteful hint to her words which were clearly meant to at least cause Katara discomfort.

"Uh huh," Katara nodded, not rising to the bait. "But we always managed."

"Even when you were travelling?" Ty Lee asked, leaning forward eagerly and almost jostling the mini table in front of her.

"Even then. Sometimes we ran out of money and had to improvise." Katara smiled softly. "There were some very kind people in the Earth Kingdom, who saved us from having to eat nuts…that may just have been stones. We were never too sure on that one."

As Ty Lee and Katara continued in their conversation, Zuko remained carefully silent. Talking about the past they all shared was generally dangerous, and he didn't want Katara to suddenly remember one of the many horrible things he had done and go back to hating him more than she already did. The stunt that she had pulled earlier and his reaction to it had definitely earned him no favors with her, but he needed to make sure that she wasn't about to run off again. He scowled in confusion at his plate. Everything had been so much simpler when he was chasing the Avatar. He hadn't needed to worry about any confusing emotions that he wasn't sure if he should be feeling. It was natural to feel something other than hate for his future wife, but the fact that she felt nothing but hate for him stopped him from expressing his feelings.

_Expressing my feelings…my father is probably laughing at me from whatever reincarnation he was born into, _Zuko thought, rolling his eyes subtly at his own thoughts. Look what Katara had reduced him to: an idiotic excuse for a Prince who spent his time daydreaming about love.

_Pathetic_.

Then again, his feelings were alternating quite rapidly. At moments where Katara would smile, all thoughts of contempt for her would go out of the window and Zuko was glad that this was the person he got to spend the rest of his life with. But when she belittled him, all the thoughts would fly back in, his anger returning with them.

"I'm going to get some air," he muttered, standing up. He was careful not to knock anything over as he walked out of the room, feeling Katara's eyes on his back.

"Mind if I come with?" Mai asked, standing up sharply.

"Go for it," Zuko shrugged, already halfway out the door. Mai was smirking as she exited the room and shut the door with a certain finality.

Katara watched them go, a bad feeling lurching in her stomach. When the door shut, she sighed and looked away. Would Zuko rekindle his relationship with Mai? The worry nagged away at her, until she asked herself why she cared.

"He likes you a lot, you know," Ty Lee piped up after a minute of silence.

Katara looked up with a frown. "What?"

"Zuko." Ty Lee indicated the door from which the Prince had just left. "He likes you a lot. He kept looking at you during lunch."

"Probably just to make sure that I didn't try to run away," Katara muttered dismissively.

"If you say so."

But Katara couldn't let it lie. She was so determined to prove that Zuko didn't like her - even though he had already admitted it to her - that she ended up practically talking to herself.

"He doesn't like me. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he hates me. I mean, what kind of person cuts me off from all of my friends and then demands that I don't leave the palace? And when I feel like breathing when he doesn't dictate it, he comes after me, forces me back and then threatens me! Plus he invites his ex-girlfriend and her friend - who both _hate _me, by the way - over without consulting me and suddenly springs it on me that they're staying for a couple of weeks! And that's only what happened during the last two days! Don't even get me started on his mission to capture Aang!"

Ty Lee allowed Katara to stew for a few more moments before pouting. "I don't hate you."

Katara ran over what she had just said in her mind and smiled sheepishly. She had mainly been talking to herself and was so lost in her rant that she had forgotten that Ty Lee was there.

"And neither does Zuko," Ty Lee continued. "He just has a weird way of showing affection."

"I thought you were on Mai's side," Katara grimaced.

"I am," Ty Lee grinned. "But she's not here, so I don't think that it counts."

Katara stared at the bubbly acrobat for a second before laughing. "If you say so."

"I do say so," Ty Lee nodded enthusiastically. "I also say that you should cut Zuko a little slack. Try being nice to him and he'll stop being a control freak." She paused. "Or at least he'll try to stop being such a control freak," she amended.

"Do you see the good in everyone or just the lost causes?" Katara wondered.

"Everyone," Ty Lee answered promptly, not realizing that Katara was joking. "But I'm not alone. From what I hear, you used to say that everyone has a good side. What happened?"

"Zuko," Katara answered simply. "He proved me wrong."

* * *

_It's only as awkward as you make it, _Zuko thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. He had wanted time alone to think, so when Mai invited herself along he wasn't best pleased. Her sly digs at Katara had irritated him for some reason, but he wasn't sure if he was annoyed at Mai because she was insulting Katara or because she had gotten there before him. _I really need to sort my head out._

"Does she do that a lot?" Mai asked suddenly as they walked along a corridor. When Zuko looked at her questioningly, she elaborated. "Katara, or whatever her name is. Does she talk about the past a lot?"

"Not really," Zuko replied, shaking his head. "Not until recently anyway."

"It must be difficult for you. Remembering the person that you were before. Remembering that she'll never love you the way you want her to."

"What?" Zuko asked sharply, coming to a halt.

Mai also came to a stop and raised her eyebrows. "Please. Like you weren't practically staring at her all through dinner. It was enough to make me sick."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have looked," Zuko hissed, embarrassed that Mai had seen him looking at Katara and angry that he had been looking in the first place.

"No, maybe _you _shouldn't have! You're only setting yourself up for a fall that will humiliate everyone," Mai seethed, her dark eyes narrowing. "Who do you think you're kidding, going through with this marriage? _She doesn't love you_."

"She'll grow to," Zuko growled before he could stop himself. Mai stared at him in shock. "This conversation is over."

He began walking back to his room but Mai's shout made him freeze.

"Just remember that when she rejects you, I'll be here."

Zuko whirled around angrily. "She won't reject me," he assured Mai. Or rather, himself. "And I invited you here as a friend. Nothing more."

"You invited me here because you hoped that it would make Katara jealous," Mai corrected. "Doesn't seem like it worked though."

Was that true? Did he only invite Mai and Ty Lee over to make Katara jealous? He supposed, on some level, that was what he had intended, but at the time he had invited them only to spite Katara, not to make her jealous.

"You don't know what you want right now," Mai said, her voice suddenly softer.

_That's for damn sure, _Zuko thought irritably.

"Even you have to admit that the Waterbender won't make a good Fire Lady. She flaunts the few rules that she actually knows and rejects the rest. But me…" Mai trailed off suggestively. "You and I were good together."

"That's in the past. Katara's my future now," Zuko answered, shaking his head and turning to walk off.

"Only by force."

"Shut up," Zuko muttered, stalking angrily back to his room and flinging the door open.

Katara and Ty Lee jumped a mile in surprise and immediately stopped talking.

"What?" Zuko asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing," Ty Lee and Katara answered simultaneously.

"What were you just talking about?" Zuko asked suspiciously.

"Salted squish," Katara replied immediately before Ty Lee could speak. "It's the new food craze to hit the Fire Nation."

Ty Lee nodded quickly. "It's squishily good."

"Whatever," Zuko scowled after an extended pause. "Ty Lee, I think Mai went off somewhere. You should go and find her."

Ty Lee nodded again, sensing Zuko's bad mood. "See you later Katara, Zuko," she murmured as she left.

"Bye," Katara replied quietly, also standing up. She watched as Zuko walked over to the windows and stared out to the distance.

"I've arranged for you to meet your new mentors shortly," he said without turning around. "They'll be waiting for you outside your room."

_Mentors? _Katara thought, briefly confused. _I'll find out in a few minutes anyway by the sound of it._

"Okay," she mumbled, making her way over to the door slowly. Before she left, she paused and turned to Zuko uncertainly. "Will you join me for a walk later?"

This made him turn around. He frowned in confusion, as if trying to decipher some code. Katara looked away and flushed under his scrutinizing stare.

"Yes," he finally replied. "I'll call for you before dinner."

Katara nodded and left, already worrying if she was doing the right thing. That left Zuko in high hopes, wondering if Katara had finally decided to make a go of their relationship.

* * *

Two identically withered old ladies stood waiting for Katara as she approached her room. Although only small, they stood imperiously and inclined their heads precisely together as Katara came to a stop.

"Lady Katara," one greeted in a scratchy voice. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," she replied warily, glancing from one woman to the other. They were matching down to the very last wrinkle.

"My name is Li," the woman said.

"My name is Lo," her twin said in an equally grating voice.

"We shall be your new mentors," the twins said in perfect unison.

_Oh Gods, _Katara thought, momentarily speechless. _I am going to kill Zuko._

"Pleased to meet you?" she tried, sure that the women would immediately tell her what she was doing wrong.

"Follow us please," Li (or was it Lo?) instructed. She and her twin walked in time with each other down the corridor, not waiting for Katara to follow.

"Will you-?" Katara began after she had caught up.

"All questions will be answered later," one twin replied without turning around.

_I'm not on a tour here, _Katara thought with a frown. _I have no idea who you ladies think you are, but I'm pretty sure that you're not that special._

Nevertheless, she followed the eerie old women in silence until they reached a door that Katara had passed but never actually been in before. Li and Lo gestured for her to go in first. Pushing open the door, Katara's first reaction was to step back from the harsh light that assaulted her eyes. After blinking rapidly, she took another stab at going in and cautiously took a few steps inside. A wall of glass windows that stretched all along the long room faced her, the shining sunlight nearly blinding her again. A wooden table stood at the end of one side of the room, holding objects that Katara couldn't see from this distance. She walked over to the windows and looked out. Unfamiliar yet beautiful landscape greeted her, the sun's rays casting the Fire Nation into another light.

"Nice view," was all Katara managed.

"You will be in this room at ten every morning without fail," one of the twins instructed.

"Prince Zuko has taken particular care to tell us that any disobedience should be reported to him immediately," the other twin added, her eyes shining with something akin to relish.

"I'm sure that he has," Katara muttered, turning back around. It seemed that the Zuko she hated had returned after a brief stint as the good guy.

"We will not tolerate words against the Fire Nation…"

"…its history…"

"…or its Royal Family."

Katara eyes swivelled to and from each woman as they spoke, finishing each others sentences like an old married couple. They weren't deterred by the bright sunlight shining into their eyes and didn't break Katara's gaze as one of them shut the door.

"We shall be given respect at all times…"

"…and expect perfection."

_They sound like they're reciting poetry, _Katara thought in exasperation. _This is so weird._

"We have mentored many nobles," the one Katara guessed was Li said.

"Some you will know…"

"…and some you won't. You will of course know of Princess Azula…"

"…whom we mentored for many years."

"Do you have to talk like that?" Katara asked, unnerved and already sick of the trailing sentences.

Li and Lo glanced at each other from the corners of their dusty eyes.

"Yes," they both replied.

Katara sighed heavily. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

By the time Zuko knocked on her door, Katara was exhausted. She had only just gotten changed into the evening dress that Zuko had sent up for her after a difficult afternoon of learning to walk in a straight line. Apparently Arisu had been wasting her time trying to teach Katara acts of nobility, because the future Fire Lady couldn't even walk like a human being. Li and Lo had shouted 'again!' more times than Katara had managed to count, and by the end of the lesson she wanted nothing more to Waterbend the two old ladies into the glass windows. She didn't expect her lessons to improve.

"I'm coming!" she called to the door, dragging her brush one last time through her hair and almost falling over on her way to the door. The shoes she was wearing were 'homework' set by the twins so that Katara could learn to walk properly when she wasn't under their supervision. Unlocking the door and pulling it open, Katara smiled at Zuko, remembering Ty Lee's instruction to be nice to him.

"You look…" Zuko started, waving a hand towards her dress. "Nice."

"Thanks," Katara replied, putting herself on guard. This morning had been a perfect example of how Zuko was when he didn't get his way, and this dress allowed no room for her water pouch. She shut her door and released the breath she had been holding; she had managed to walk across her room without falling over. It was an improvement.

She and Zuko walked along the corridor in silence; the only sound being made was the loud clicks and clacks that Katara's heels made on the tiled hallway. She inwardly cringed at every sound her ridiculous shoes made and the thought of the blisters that she would inevitably get after a whole night of walking in them.

"We don't really have anywhere to walk," Katara said after a few minutes. "At least, I don't."

Zuko didn't look at her as they carried on walking. "I know it seems like I'm being too harsh, but it really is for the best."

"How?" Katara whispered. "How is isolating me really for the best?"

All of the reasons that Zuko had in answer to her question suddenly flew out of his head and he struggled for an appropriate reply.

"I don't want you getting hurt," he finally decided on. "There are a lot of dangerous people out there."

"There are a lot of dangerous people in here," Katara objected. "You've already proven that."

"I'm sorry for what I did this morning," Zuko said, gritting his teeth in frustration. Ten minutes in and things were already going wrong.

"So you'll lift the ban on me seeing my friends and going outside?" Katara asked, daring to be hopeful.

"No."

"You sure know how to make a girl feel special," Katara scowled.

"Prove to me that you can be responsible," Zuko shrugged.

"Prove to me that you won't flip out every time I move!" Katara challenged. "You may think that you're protecting me, but you're stifling me. If I have to consult you every time I want to leave my own bedroom, then I don't want to be here."

"You don't want to be here anyway."

Katara didn't know what to say to that. She would obviously rather be in the Southern Water Tribe with her family than in the Fire Nation alone, but that didn't mean that she hated it here as much as she once had.

"That's no reason to make it more unpleasant," Katara said heatedly after a minute. "If you stop being a jerk long enough for me to-"

"To what?" Zuko cut in. "To run off again? It's like we're going around in circles here."

"Agreed. That's why you need to stop-"

"Wait, why is this just about me?" Zuko interrupted indignantly. "It takes two to cause a problem."

"No it doesn't!" Katara replied incredulously. "And stop interrupting me! It takes one stubborn Fire Nation Prince and his ideas on how to treat a girl to cause a whole bunch of problems!"

"We'll agree to disagree then," Zuko said sourly.

"I don't agree to that."

"That's because you're awkward. Also, why are you walking…?" Zuko began, trying to choose his next words carefully.

"Like I have a stick up my butt?" Katara finished for him.

Zuko pressed his lips together and nodded, glad that the argument was seemingly over.

"You have Li and Lo to thank for that. According to them I don't walk properly because I don't balance like a circus performer on shoes that resemble towers," Katara groaned, also glad that a serious fight had been avoided.

"Li and Lo are two of the best mentors in the Fire Nation," Zuko said in way of explanation.

"They taught Azula, how great can they be?"

"True," Zuko replied, trying not to laugh.

Seeing as he and Katara had nowhere to walk, they made their way to the dining hall early and stood around, each trying to avoid topics that could lead to an argument.

"A word of advice," Katara said after ten minutes of silence. She decided that now was a good a time as any to say something that had the potential to either aggravate Zuko or make him understand that what he was doing to her was borderline tyrannical. "Stop trying to keep me locked away and I'll try to like you."

"That was more than a word," Zuko replied numbly, trying not to let what she had just said get to him. "That was a sentence."

Katara laughed freely. "My apologies."

But Zuko wasn't listening. So Katara had to _try _to like him? All the times that she had laughed because of something he had said had been fake? Talking to him, asking him to go for a walk with her…had all that been just to get on his good side? When everyone arrived for dinner (including Iroh, who proclaimed himself well enough to attend) Zuko was too preoccupied with his thoughts to engage in conversation properly. He had really thought that he had a chance with Katara, even after everything he had put her through…even after her flat rejection of him in the throne room. Anger flared with disappointment at that memory.

Absorbed in rejection, Zuko coldly ignored Katara throughout dinner and shunned her when she offered to let him walk her back to her room. After all, she was only doing it to get what she wanted.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Judging from a lot of your suggestions, not many of you thought that it would be Mai and Ty Lee sitting on the couch. Hope it was a good surprise (:**

**I have an exam tomorrow that I have to revise for, and it's already getting on for time. I haven't been able to read through this chapter at all, which is why it's probably riddled with mistakes. So yeah, sorry about that.**

**The song to this chapter relates both to Katara meeting Mai again and Zuko's feeling of betrayal when he realizes that Katara doesn't actually like him back. Yet. It's one of my favorite Bullet For My Valentine songs, but as the band are metal, it may not be to some of your tastes (:**

**Thank you to my reviewers, you are all very much appreciated. Speaking of reviews, it's my birthday tomorrow (yeah, I have a maths exam on my birthday…what the hell T-T) and if you feel inclined to give me a review as a present, then go with that feeling! lol. Happy (very) belated birthday to **LdyDarkStr **while we're on the topic (:**

**Congrats to **Kira-Knuppel** who got picked out of those of you who guessed right about Mai and Ty Lee and many thanks to **taffy0823** who suggested that Li and Lo be Katara's new mentors.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't worry - the action will pick up soon (:**

**Wish me luck in the exam (I am so bad at maths it's untrue XD) and have a great week everyone!**

**- Momo**


	14. I Hate Everything About You

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Only when I stop to think about you, I know. Only when you stop to think about me, do you know. I hate everything about you…why do I love you?_

- I Hate Everything About You _by _Three Days Grace

* * *

_Go to sleep. Now. Okay…now. You'll be asleep…now. Okay, this isn't working, _Katara thought in defeat, keeping her eyes stubbornly shut as she lay in bed in her dark room. The layers that swathed her were stifling her, and every time she moved it felt like she was trapped in a volcano. She tried remaining absolutely still, but that didn't work either; the heat was suffocating no matter what she did. Sighing in exhaustion and frustration, she opened her eyes and sat upright, throwing off the covers to her bed and bringing her knees up to her chest. The cool air gladly caressed her bare arms, bringing instant relief from the unusually high temperature of the room.

Her eyes gradually adjusted to the dimness of the room, and soon Katara was able to make out the shapes of her wardrobe, amongst other items. Shadows clung to the furniture, dripping off the edges in an almost sinister fashion. But she wasn't afraid; her mind had quickly wandered and she was currently lost in thought. All throughout dinner, Zuko had been…she couldn't quite explain it. He was different than the way he had acted towards her before, and yet in some ways the exact same. Every time she had said something, be it adding to the conversation or just a comment on the food, he would either blatantly ignore her or respond coolly. If Zuko saw the irritated looks being shot at him by Iroh across the dinner table, then he made no sign. Even when Katara tentatively asked him if he wanted to walk her back to her room, he completely ignored her and instead walked off to join Mai and Ty Lee. Disillusioned, Katara had left without another word. Since when had the tables turned so drastically that Zuko was the one rejecting Katara? Moreover, since when had Katara cared?

Deciding that this train of thought would quickly become a train wreck, she quickly tried to think of another subject. Iroh had been looking worryingly pale at dinner. When she had asked, Iroh had insisted that it was just because he was tired, joking that Zuko and Katara's fights were wearing him out. Katara had smiled, but when she looked up, found that Zuko was scowling in another direction. She hadn't spoken after that.

_I wonder what was wrong with Iroh? _Katara mused, pulling the covers up to her chest as the chilly air began to get on her nerves. _He must have had a really bad throat infection or something…every time he ate or drank something he'd cough. I should've asked if I could heal him. Can I heal infections? Huh, that's something to check into. The Spirit Oasis water probably could have done. I wonder if it could've healed Zuko's scar?_

And there she was. Back to Zuko.

With a heavy sigh, Katara lifted herself up out of bed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get to sleep whilst her mind was whirring like this. Her bare feet sank into the thick carpeted floor as she walked carefully over to the windows. A glow emitted from the curtains; rays from the moon. They lit up the room ever so slightly, yet Katara still found herself stumbling and almost walking into her wardrobe. Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, she reached out a tentative hand and grasped the curtains, drawing them apart slowly. They made a noise as they separated and Katara briefly worried that she would wake someone. Then she realized that her room was corridors away from anyone who would actually care that she was up in the middle of the night.

Basking in the moon's light, Katara closed her eyes and thought about Zuko. If she took away all of his bad qualities and every bad choice that he had ever made, then what would be left? Someone who, on occasion, could be funny and sweet and intelligent. Katara already liked this side of Zuko, no matter how strenuously her mind protested. To try and dissuade her from liking someone as bad for her as Zuko was, her traitorous memory would bring back all of his bad points in a flood of negativity. As much as Katara wanted to ignore these overwhelming points, she couldn't. Images of Zuko flickered behind her eyelids: scowling, smiling or attacking. They all merged together as Katara sighed and opened her weary eyes.

_Could I really care for someone as unpredictable as Zuko? _she wondered, staring up at the moon with sadness. Above the thick hedge that ran around the outer edge of her garden sanctuary, stars were dotted around. Katara eyes glazed over as she became lost in thought again.

"_Was there really a book that Ty Lee used to keep pressed flowers in?"_

"_There's probably one somewhere in the palace."_

Did that mean that Zuko just hung back to talk to Katara? Why would he do something like that, especially after how he had been treating her recently? She thought back to what Ty Lee had said, about Zuko really liking her. Katara was just as sceptical about that now as she had been then, only now her heart skipped a light beat.

_Stop it, _she scolded herself, wrapping her arms around herself and sighing quietly. _As long as Zuko is acting the way he is, there's no point in wondering._

"_I thought you were looking for a book, or did you just say that so you could talk to me?"_

"_A little of both."_

It was like Zuko was two completely different people. This afternoon, after Mai and Ty Lee had left for Zuko's room, had shown Katara that she could learn to like Good Zuko. Maybe a little more than like. But when he was banning her from everything that she enjoyed, Bad Zuko was not someone that Katara wanted to spend her time with, let alone the rest of her life. Could all the times that Zuko made her laugh and smile really compensate for her loss of freedom? In any other situation, with any other person, Katara would have immediately said no. But with Zuko, she had to consider it for two seconds before declining.

_Am I losing myself so much that I'd let someone take away everything that I hold dear just because they make me smile every once in awhile? _Katara thought forlornly. _I don't want to change. I don't want to sit back meekly and take whatever Zuko throws at me. I want to stand up, take it and then throw it back with ten times more force._

She smiled at the stars, knowing that Aang and Sokka would be cheering her on from their respective places in the universe. She imagined Sokka doing a little victory dance at his sister's rebellion and laughed. Her laugh quickly turned into a yawn and suddenly her body drooped with tiredness. Turns out that thinking about a past enemy and future…something, was strenuous work. Deciding that she would think more on the subject in the morning, Katara dragged herself over to her bed and collapsed, sinking into the soft folds of bedcovers. Her eyes shut and, after sighing once, sleep took over her.

* * *

A loud hammering on her door forced Katara to wake up. The room was still dark, the bed too warm to consider moving.

"Get up!" a loud voice commanded through the door.

_Mai…? _Katara wondered, lifting her heavy eyelids wearily and squinting in the general direction of the door.

"Come on, we don't have all day!"

"Fine," Katara croaked, her throat dry. "Calm down."

She blinked a few times to get the dust out of her eyes and struggled to sit up. Her back whimpered in protest as cool air sank through her nightwear. Forcing her legs to move, she left the comfort of her inviting bed to shuffle across the room and unlock her door.

"Good morning!" Ty Lee trilled as Katara opened the door. Mai nodded once to Katara, too unfriendly to repeat Ty Lee's sentiment.

Katara frowned and muttered something intelligible back.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Ty Lee asked with a bright smile that was far too happy for such an hour.

"It wasn't bad," Katara replied, stifling a yawn. "Do you know what time it is?"

"An hour before sunrise," Mai answered with satisfaction.

Katara groaned and shut the door in her guests' faces. She was in no mood to be polite at this time, especially not to Mai. She intended to lug her feet right back to bed but before she was even halfway across her room, Mai spoke again through the door:

"Zuko wanted to know if you'd train with him."

Katara was intrigued despite herself and turned to the door. She had been aching to do some real Waterbending, but was she ready to spar with Zuko? Would it bring back too many painful memories? _Not if I beat him this time, _she reasoned. Her heart had already made up its mind and was all for opening the door. Her mind however was warning that this wouldn't end well and that she should just go back to bed. Impulsively, she walked over to the door with a new energy and opened it quickly.

"Fine," she said to Mai, looking the girl in her cold, dark eyes. "Where and when?"

"Sunrise, the training grounds," Mai replied. "Zuko's already made arrangements for accessible water there."

"That was a little expectant of him," Katara frowned, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You said yes, didn't you?" Mai answered icily. "Just be there."

"I will," Katara assured with equal chilliness. "Goodbye."

"See you later!" Ty Lee called cheerfully as Katara shut the door again.

_What have I gotten myself into? _Katara wondered fretfully as she absently walked over to her curtains and opened them. The outside world was still asleep, not even the gentlest of breezes breathing across the sky. She stared out for another moment before a sense of unfairness settled in. Sunrise was when Firebenders were at their strongest…hardly a fair fight for a Waterbender with a limited supply of water. After a wondering briefly if this was some sort of revenge for whatever it was that she had done to upset Zuko, Katara turned to her wardrobe and started searching through it, not the easiest thing to do with only the light of the moon for visibility. Flicking past several beautiful gowns, it took a minute to find something that was perfect. Taking out two pieces of fabric, Katara smiled fondly. After the Day of Black Sun, gifts had flooded in from all over the world (except, of course, from the Fire Nation) for all the brave fighters who had risked their lives to save the world. At the time, Katara had discarded all of the gifts bitterly; there wasn't much point in honoring a bunch of failures. Now however, she was glad that her father insisted that she keep some presents and take them to the palace with her.

After cleansing herself with water from the bathroom, Katara fastened the clothes she had picked out and looked at herself in the mirror with a small, proud smile. What she was wearing was almost identical to her old training outfit, that was to say a white breast band and skirt. The difference here was that this outfit was colored Water Tribe blue, with the Water Tribe insignia used as a clasp at the back of her band. Just being dressed in her natural colors made Katara more confident, as though she were rediscovering herself and her powers.

Flicking her hair back, she wondered what she could do with it. Did she still have time to…? Yes. Quickly rummaging through her drawers, Katara pulled out three hair fasteners. Sitting in front of her mirror, she used the moonlight to guide her hand as she made the familiar movements to create her old hairstyle. Clipping the last part of hair back into a loop, she regarded herself in the mirror. Wearing her Water Tribe clothes and hairstyle, she looked just like she had in the old times where everything was simpler.

With ten minutes to go until she was due to train with Zuko, Katara grabbed something to cover her shoulders with, left her room and made her way down to the training area. Although she had never actually been there, she had passed it several times and knew where to go. It was a large, sparse area with nothing but dusty ground and the occasional dying shrub. Tall walls surrounded the outdoor arena, as bleak and desolate as a prison. To her relief, Katara spotted two enormous jugs filled with water at either side of her and immediately made her way over to one of them. The jug was almost as big as her, at least three times as wide and filled to the brim with liquid. Katara walked across the cool ground to the other jug, parallel to the first one. She checked that it too held water and the knot in her stomach subsided slightly. After taking off her shoes and placing them at the side of the jug, she summoned some of the water and balanced it in between her hands. Drawing her hands closer together and then apart, the water followed her movements and split into two. Katara slowly moved her hand away from her and then jerked it forward, releasing the water as she did. The liquid sliced through the air and out of sight. A moment later, there was a splash and a cry of 'ouch!'.

Katara winced. "Sorry!" she called to whoever she had just accidentally smacked with her Waterbending. Turning away from that direction, Katara saw Zuko walking up with an amused expression.

"Attacking my guards again?" he teased.

"Only by accident this time," Katara replied sheepishly, sending the remaining water back into the jug. "Do you get up this early every day?"

"What can I say, I rise with the sun," Zuko shrugged, his eyes tailing the water as it returned to the holder.

"And I rise with the moon," Katara said with her eyebrows raised, indicating the rising sun. "Hardly fair."

"Next time we train, we can do it at night then," Zuko said, rolling his eyes.

"Next time?" Katara repeated.

"If I don't beat you too badly this time," Zuko nodded. He smiled slightly to show that he was kidding, but Katara was still a little unnerved.

The sun rose entirely and shadows began to form beneath the walls and jugs. The ground was starting to heat up a little and Katara considered putting her shoes back on, even though she would probably stub her feet on the rough surface.

"I had a talk with my uncle last night," Zuko started uncomfortably. Katara flashed her eyes up to his questioningly. "He made me realize what I've been doing and how that isn't the best way to…" he sighed in frustration, obviously struggling to find the right words. "To not make you hate me. So I'm going to try and stop being so-"

"Pathetic?" Katara suggested smugly.

"Not what I was going to say," Zuko scowled. "But yes."

"Does that mean that I can talk to whoever and go wherever I want?" Katara asked shrewdly, her hopes beginning to rise warily.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"That's what I thought," Katara muttered. "Are we training or what? I want to go back to bed."

"Give it a minute," Zuko answered, glancing towards the path that led out of the arena. "I invited some people to come and see a real live Waterbender in action."

"_You did what?_" Katara hissed in outrage, her eyes widening at the thought of people scrutinizing her every move.

Zuko raised his eyebrow at her furious tone. "I invited a couple of people to come and watch us train," he repeated. "They're very interested to see their future Fire Lady's fighting skills, particularly as they have heard so many stories."

"All spread, no doubt, by you," Katara growled. She scowled and shrugged off the light material that she wore over her shoulders. The heat rested comfortably on her newly bare skin. After making sure that the fabric was out of the way, she looked back up to see Zuko looking away uncomfortably. Katara was momentarily confused, until she remembered that her outfit, although practical in the heat, showed off the majority of her skin. Zuko was dressed in loose pants and a shirt, and Katara suddenly felt very exposed. Her face heated up.

"Can we just start now?" she asked, again crossing her arms over her flat, tanned stomach. "The others will probably come soon."

"Yeah, sure," Zuko mumbled, almost falling over in his hurry to cross the sandy arena. When he reached the other side, he took his shirt off and it was Katara's turn to not know where to look.

_That's why fighting in the North Pole was that much easier, _she thought, keeping her eyes down as Zuko threw his shirt aside. _At least then both of us were wearing proper clothes. Stupid Fire Nation._

Still, she couldn't help admiring Zuko's abdominal muscles, which were defined even from a distance. His arms were by no means weedy either, and Katara wondered exactly how much time the Prince spent training. She thanked the stars that she was naturally slim because otherwise she would look like a complete sloth next to Zuko.

"First one to get their opponent on the ground is the winner," Zuko called, his voice ringing clearly across the empty space.

"I thought this wasn't a fight?" Katara frowned, tearing her eyes from Zuko's stomach and forcing them upwards.

"That doesn't mean we can't make it interesting," Zuko yelled back with a smirk.

"Interesting how?" Katara asked suspiciously.

"I'll decide that when I win."

Katara shook her head in disbelief at Zuko's overbearing confidence and, keeping her eyes locked on his at all times, withdrew a shimmering stream of water from either jug.

"_If _you win," she corrected, launching both palms forward and making the water fly forward. Zuko deflected it with an easy wave of fire.

"Rules: we're not aiming to hurt each other, so that means no attacks stronger than necessary, no attacking once the other is on the ground and no physical contact," Zuko instructed, surprising Katara with his words. "Ready?"

"I think I am," Katara murmured to herself, not just referring to the oncoming challenge. She smiled confidently and withdrew more water, letting it encase her fingers. Making a horizontal slicing motion through the air, the water shot forward towards Zuko's chest. Again on the defensive, he blocked. Water sizzled as it connected with fire.

_Aim for the legs, trip him up, _Katara told herself as she created a water shield to defend herself against the bullets of fire that rained down on her. Two could play at that game though and Katara froze the droplets of water that clung to her fingertips and hurled them.

_She's trying to distract you, _Zuko thought, melting the tiny icicles being thrown at him. _Aim for her legs and trip her up._

Both teenagers having the same idea did not prove productive; it took three minutes before anyone even got close to tripping up their opponent. When Zuko stumbled after being caught off-guard, Katara smirked victoriously and tried to break his stance. However, Zuko was prepared for this and quickly dodged the attack. He was too far away from Katara for any of his hits to take proper effect, so quickly sprinted forward, coming to a skidding halt when he was a few feet away.

_What is he doing? _Katara fretted, working harder to defend herself now that Zuko was within closer range. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a few people standing together at the edge of the arena. They were watching and appeared to be talking excitedly. Katara didn't look long enough to guess who was amongst the group, but she bet that Mai and Ty Lee were there somewhere. Exertion of the fight and heat from the sun had caused a light sheen of sweat on Katara's body and she needed a drink. All in all, things could be better. Still she fought on, jabbing towards Zuko's ankles at every chance she got and defending herself all other times. Although this was only a training session and defeat would mean nothing, Katara was still determined to win. To show the world that she was strong. To show the world that, given the right circumstances, she could have won on the Day of Black Sun. Unfortunately, Zuko was right about his limited chivalry and wasn't about to let her win. Although he had said that the aim of the fight wasn't to hurt anyone, his attacks at times were vicious and certainly suggested that he intended pain. He sent a jet of fire towards Katara's stomach at exactly the right moment; it knocked her back and she only just regained composure in time to save herself from hitting the floor.

"Having fun?" Zuko called smugly as he let Katara get herself together.

Katara growled and sent a blast of water towards him, forgetting the rules in her rage. Zuko made an X shape with his arms and quickly unleashed a burst of flames that counteracted the waves. It seemed that the fight was getting serious. Recalling the water, Katara separated it into two liquid spheres.

"Dodge this," she muttered, controlling the water two different ways and encasing Zuko in the middle. She froze the water and concentrated on keeping it frozen. But it was not to be. With a boiling blast, Zuko shattered the ice and coolly stepped forward.

"Didn't work then, won't work now," he called heatedly, punching forwards and sending torrents of flames towards Katara. Trusting that she was suitably distracted, he conjured more flames and let them coil around his wrists like hissing serpents. Dousing the last of the flames, Katara looked up to see Zuko making fire whips.

"You stole my move," she seethed loudly, creating her own liquid whips.

"You can have it back," Zuko offered, making a slashing motion towards her. The whips surged forward, blazing in the sunlight and colliding heavily with Katara's defensive whips. The two combined elements spat at the crowds now gathered beneath them. Zuko heaved his end of the merged whips towards him sharply, Katara with them. She fell forwards, again only narrowly missing the ground. Each time she tried to dissipate her entangled whip, Zuko shot fire close to her wrists to stop her. How he could control his element with only one hand, Katara didn't know; she was struggling keeping a hold of her water whip with both hands. With a sudden spurt of concentration, Zuko released his control of the fire whip and instead made newly thick flames encircle the battling teenagers. Katara pelted water against the prison, but it was no good. Zuko shrank the vortex until he and Katara were so close that he could reach out and touch her.

"I'm pretty sure that this is cheating," Katara hissed through gritted teeth. If she stretched out her arms to attack Zuko, her elbows would be burned. She was trapped.

"Like you're not cheating?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrow. "That outfit is _really _distracting."

"Then don't look," Katara suggested, wiping loose strands of hair out of her eyes with sweaty hands. Surprised that she suddenly had room to move, Katara took full advantage of the situation and moved to attack Zuko. However he was too quick and broke the circling flames, shooting them with full strength at Katara's stomach. Unable to defend herself fast enough, Katara bore the brunt of the attack and flew backwards into the air, landing painfully on her back on the hard ground below.

Her stomach feeling as though it was on fire, Katara gasped for air as tears flooded her eyes. Before, the adrenaline that pumped through her system had prevented her from feeling any pain but now her stomach scorched like the sun. There was a smattering of applause from somewhere around Katara; the crowds all cheering for their Prince, undoubtedly. Not letting the tears fall, Katara bent her legs and made to stand up. She ignored the agony that ripped through her midriff at the movement, wincing only slightly. Suddenly a shadow obscured the bright sun that was beating down on her face. It was Zuko, and he was offering her his hand. Katara's pride wouldn't let her accept his help, but her head reminded her that she needed to heal herself as quickly as possible or risk scars. Of course, her head was also doing a smug little victory dance and saying 'I told you it wouldn't end well'. Katara narrowed her eyes but took Zuko's hand regardless and allowed herself to be pulled up.

Zuko's smug smirk faded as he stared at the fresh burns on her stomach. Horror passed over his face and his eyes widened, before he muttered, "You should go and heal yourself."

"Yeah," Katara hissed, snatching her hand away and using it to cover her stomach. Her cool fingertips accidentally brushed one of the burns and she gasped in pain. Through a haze of tears, she scowled up at Zuko. "Trust _really _isn't your thing, is it?"

Not waiting for an answer, she turned away and stalked off. Every movement was agony, but she only had to get to the privacy of the gardens before it would all go away. She ignored the mutterings of the spectators as she left the arena, too absorbed in pain. She would give Zuko hell for this later on.

By the time she had dragged her feet to one of the benches in the gardens, she was in tears. Summoning water from the fountain, she encased her hand with the glowing liquid and moved it over her stomach. She hissed as each individual burn healed slowly, thankfully leaving no traces behind afterwards. When she had been completely healed she just sat there in the sunlight, watching the turtle ducks swim up and down in the pond happily. She really should bring some bread to feed them with sometime. The thought of bread made her wonder about breakfast and she gingerly stood up, unsure of whether or not she needed to heal her back. After taking a few steps and deeming it okay, she decided that if it would get any worse then she would heal it. But for now all she wanted was to get dressed into something more appropriate and then have some breakfast. Iroh had encouraged her at dinner the previous night to attend breakfast with him again now that he had gotten over his illness. Katara would head over there as soon as she was sure that she wasn't about to burst into tears.

* * *

Zuko watched Katara walk off and wanted nothing more than to go after her. He had been caught up in the moment and the last attack had been far too much. Seeing her dark skin marred so badly with fresh burns churned his stomach and he hated himself because he was to blame for the tears threatening to spill out of her cerulean eyes. Just as he was about to call after her, Mai sidled up beside him.

"I guess some people are just sore losers," she sighed, nodding her head at Katara's retreating figure. "Good job on that final blast. I'm surprised that the ground didn't crack, she hit it with such a force."

Zuko narrowed his eyes angrily, but it was more anger at himself than Mai's words. A faceless servant brought him his shirt with a quiet congratulation before hurrying away again. Zuko pulled his shirt over his head, the scowl still fixed onto his face.

Ty Lee bounded up, a troubled look on her normally happy face. "Do you think that Katara will be okay?"

"She'll be fine," Mai said dismissively, rolling her eyes. "She's probably faced a lot worse than that."

"I'll see you in a bit," Zuko muttered, beginning to walk away. "I'm going to change."

He paused and turned back, picking up Katara's shoes and shawl that she had left behind before setting off again. Although he had intended to go straight to his room, he couldn't help stopping by the gardens just to check if Katara wasn't there. When he found that she wasn't, he couldn't help the bitter disappointment in his chest.

"Zuko, you're an idiot," he muttered to himself, kicking the ground irritably before storming off again.

* * *

--_Twelve Hours Later_--

* * *

_This has not been the best of days, _Katara thought to herself as she wearily regarded the dress that Zuko had someone send up. Along with the dress had been a bouquet of exquisite black and white lilies with a single word attached on a note: _sorry_.

"I saw you and the Prince sparring before. You fight really well, Lady Katara," the young servant boy said quietly as he bowed his head after giving Katara the flowers. "If you don't mind me saying."

"Of course I don't mind," Katara smiled, glad that someone dared to talk to her. "Thank you for the compliment."

"You're welcome, Lady Katara. Have a nice night."

"And you," Katara laughed. She opened the door for the young boy and then shut it, turning back to her dress with a sigh. It was beautiful, of course. Combining crimson and midnight blue satin, it represented the joining of two cultures in a way. In another way, it was just a dress and Katara shouldn't look that deeply into it. She turned her attention to the equally stunning flowers and sighed again. Should she forgive him for throwing the harsh attack? She supposed that he had done worse, and besides she was healed now. Then again, he had broken his own set of rules and hurt her in the process.

"At least he said sorry this time," Katara muttered, disrobing and putting on the dress. It brushed her skin gently, the fabric of the highest quality. After checking her reflection in the mirror, she plucked one lily from the bouquet and fixed it into her hair. She supposed that important guests were visiting tonight, as she didn't dress like this for every night. _Watch it be another of Zuko's ex-girlfriends, _Katara thought, scowling. The thought bothered her somewhat.

A little while later came a knock on her door. After fixing the last of her hair, Katara unlocked the door and opened it. Zuko stood there, his head bowed. Katara looked at him warily.

"I'm sorry about this morning," he said, his golden eyes piercing her sapphire ones. "I was completely out of order. It won't happen again."

"No, it won't," Katara agreed. "Because I won't train with you again."

"What?" Zuko asked, his tone changing abruptly. "Why not?"

Katara raised her eyebrows. "My stomach is fine, thanks for asking."

"Well, okay, that's a good reason not to train with me again," Zuko admitted. "But you can't tell me that it wasn't fun."

"Before you started getting over-competitive? Yeah, it was alright."

"Right then."

"Still doesn't mean I'll train with you though," Katara shrugged. She and Zuko kept up the argument all the way to the dining hall, where Iroh, Mai and Ty Lee had already taken their seats.

"You are lucky that our guest is not yet here," Iroh warned disapprovingly to Zuko as he and Katara took their seats. "Something tells me that she would not approve of the future Fire Nation leader and his betrothed to disrespect her by being late."

The seat next to Katara was empty, with Ty Lee sitting next to the empty chair and Mai sitting opposite it…next to Zuko. It looked as though Katara had the pleasure of entertaining whatever dreadfully boring guest they had this evening. Joy.

"Our guest is about to arrive," Iroh informed them all. "She is very particular on manners. Perhaps it is best that we stand up."

Katara rolled her eyes at Zuko, who smiled, but they stood up anyway. The dining room doors opened and Katara looked up with mild interest.

"This place is _way _too big for its own good," drawled a familiar voice.

"Toph!" Katara shrieked in delight, her chair scraping back as she ran to hug the small Earthbender.

"Are you trying to make me deaf as well?" Toph complained, but smiled and hugged Katara back. "Good to see you, Sugar Queen."

"What are you doing here?" Katara asked, beaming at the arrival of her friend.

"Snoozles was about to storm into the Fire Nation to check if you were alright…something about not replying to letters. I told him that, unless we wanted to start another war, we should wait for an invitation. Luckily I got just that a couple of days later. He's fine, by the way," Toph added, guessing that Katara was about to ask about her brother. "He misses you. They all do. They'll see you before your wedding anyway." She began to walk forwards, sensing where she was going and stopping just before she walked into the table. "Speaking of, how _is_ Princey doing? Dying of an incurable disease I hope."

The table sat in stunned silence.

"Relax, Sokka told me to say that," Toph laughed, before frowning. "Although if he was, I wouldn't be too upset."

"I'm sitting right here," Zuko growled.

"I know," Toph grinned, before turning her head. "How are you doing, Iroh?"

"I am fine, thank you Toph," Iroh replied with a warm smile. "Glad to see that you could make it."

"Thanks for the invite," Toph said, still grinning. "The palace feels a lot different when you're not running through it and trying to stay alive."

Katara placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. She saw through Toph's tough bravado, and knew that she was hurting almost as much as Katara was. But Toph was as bad as Zuko when it came to showing pain, and would never admit how she felt about Aang's death.

"You're probably hungry after the journey," Katara said, guiding Toph to the empty seat beside her own. "Did you travel by boat?"

"Nah, I came on Appa," Toph replied, as Katara handed her a bread roll. "The big guy's faster than any boat."

"Appa's here too?" Katara asked, her face lighting up again. "I'd like to see him."

"He's out back somewhere," Toph said, giving the table a lovely view of the content of her mouth. "Keeping Momo company."

Katara grinned. If only her brother had been here then it would have been like old times. If Aang had been here…well, if Aang had been here then something would be seriously wrong, because if Aang hadn't died then Katara would not be in the Fire Nation.

"You realise that I have no idea who half the people you just mentioned are?" Zuko frowned at Toph.

"Lucky that I wasn't talking to you then, wasn't it?" Toph replied.

Katara bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. She could already tell that the next week of so would be bearable, just because of Toph's presence.

"How long are you staying for?" Katara asked her friend.

"Not sure. I have to be back for the…anniversary," Toph stumbled over the word, "for some Earth Kingdom thing."

"That's not for another couple of weeks," Katara said quietly. "You should take a couple of days off for travelling though."

"A couple of my parents' servants came with me, I'll leave it to them to keep track of the time," Toph shrugged, chomping on another bread roll. "These are pretty good."

"Wait until you try the main course," Iroh grinned, a happy twinkle in his eye.

"As long as it's nothing too spicy, I think I'll be okay."

An hour later, after Toph had downed her fifth glass of water in a row, she scowled at her plate.

"That was not natural, whatever it was," she said, wrinkling her nose. "I'm surprised that you could handle it, Sugar Queen."

"I've had time to adjust," Katara shrugged.

"Why do you call everyone by nicknames that you made up?" Mai asked Toph, her lip curling to show how childish she thought it.

"I don't know, Gloomy. I guess it's just part of who I am."

Katara laughed freely; she wasn't worried about insulting Mai. Ty Lee laughed as well, before she was quickly silenced by a death glare from Mai.

"You've never given Iroh a nickname," Katara pointed out after a moment. "That's not fair."

"When you think of a better nickname than 'Dragon of the West', then let me know," Toph replied.

"Good point," Katara nodded, sipping the last of her wine.

"It is the best nickname at this table by far," Iroh said smugly. "But we'll have to leave it until morning to continue this discussion. It is getting late and we have all had eventful days."

He eyed Zuko and Katara as he said this, and Katara wasn't about to disagree with him. With a yawn, Iroh stood up, bade them all goodnight, and left the table. Mai and Ty Lee followed suit, with Mai still looking annoyed at Toph's comment. Soon it was just Zuko, Katara and Toph left at the table.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Zuko murmured, standing up. "Good night."

"I look forward to seeing how much damage you can do to me tomorrow," Katara called as he walked out. He didn't stop walking.

When he had gone, Toph sighed heavily. "Sokka is going to hate me."

"Why?" Katara asked, confused by this seemingly random statement.

"Because I'm going to tell you something." Toph took a long drink from her wine before continuing. "It wasn't Iroh who invited me here."

"Then who…?" Katara began, before her puzzled expression turned to one of disbelief. "No. No way."

"Way," Toph shrugged. "And as much as I hate him, I think that you should cut him a little slack. This is the guy you're spending the rest of your life with, don't forget."

"No," Katara shook her head, still confused. "You said 'thank you' to Iroh for inviting you."

"I lied," Toph replied simply. "Do you think that I can get some more wine?"

"I don't understand why Zuko would invite you here," Katara frowned. "And then not even tell me. I mean, if he did it to get on my good side then he'd be the first to let me know."

"Maybe he just did it to make you happy," Toph suggested. "Seriously, about the wine…"

Katara stood up sharply. "I need to find him," she muttered to herself, still frowning as she walked swiftly out of the room.

"That's alright!" Toph shouted after her friend. "I'll just find my own way back."

* * *

_This doesn't make any sense! _Katara's mind screamed at her. _He must have invited Toph over a few days ago for her to arrive now. Why did he do it and then let Iroh take the credit? Iroh must have been on it as well, of course. Why am I always the last to know when it comes to important things?!_

After interrogating a terrified looking servant, Katara gathered that Zuko had gone in the direction of the gardens. She prayed that he would still be there, she needed answers. Running down the corridor adjacent to the gardens, Katara came to a quick halt as she saw a solitary figure leaning against the tree overlooking the pond. Zuko stood in the shadow, almost invisible behind the drooping branches and leaves of the old tree. Unsure quite of what she wanted to say, Katara walked over to him, the grass brushing her feet from where her shoes showed bare skin. He looked up disinterestedly, saw it was Katara and straightened up.

"Toph told me that it was you who invited her here," Katara said, figuring this the best way to start a conversation.

"Already?" Zuko muttered, his eyebrow rising. "Loudmouth Earthbender."

Katara was speechless for a moment. A part of her thought that Zuko would deny it or that Toph had been lying.

"I…why?" Katara asked, her eyes shining with confusion that was evident even through the dark night.

Zuko was silent for so long that Katara considered repeating her question. Just as she was about to draw breath, he spoke.

"I'd gone too far," he murmured, turning his face away from Katara's searching eyes. "I'd isolated you from everyone you were friendly with in the Fire Nation, and that wasn't a good idea. You hadn't smiled in days and I didn't want to see you unhappy. But I knew that if you knew it was me who'd invited your friend over, then you'd think I was trying to bribe you and Toph's visit would be tainted. So I let my uncle take the credit. It was worth it, just to see you smile." His voice had gotten quieter and quieter as he went on, and now it was almost impossible to hear him.

Katara stood, stunned, in the soft night. Zuko still had his face turned away from her, his dark hair hiding his eyes.

"Thank you," Katara whispered. Her heart beginning to beat quicker, she leaned in and kissed Zuko's cheek gently. She drew back just as Zuko turned to look at her. Katara held her breath at how close they suddenly were. She didn't pull away. Zuko didn't turn away. If Katara moved her head just an inch closer…but no, she couldn't. She meant to say something along the lines of 'I need to get going', but the words never quite came. She lifted her eyes slowly towards Zuko's. His were just as unreadable as she guessed hers were. A heartbeat passed. Then Zuko leaned in and sealed the gap between them as his lips met hers.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Good chapter? Heh, hope you enjoyed (:**

**Thanks for all your birthday wishes and for wishing me luck on my exam! I thought that the exam went pretty well…which is a sure sign that I've screwed up somewhere XD**

**The song for this chapter, "I Hate Everything About You" is my favourite song and I have Zutara to thank for that (I first heard the song on one of many Zutara AMVs) :D I think it really fits the pairing well, particularly in chapters like this that show the two extremes of Zuko and Katara's relationship. **wicca in training **also suggested this song…great minds think alike! Although my mind isn't that great. It's just filled with elevator music and the occasional fly :P**

**Sorry that I took so long in replying to some of your reviews. Thank you to all of my reviewers, you're a continuing source of happiness to me (:**

**Have a great week!**

**- Momo**


	15. Save Me

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_How come you call it destiny when the cross you bear is your only company? I don't know if I can, I don't know if I should. I'm reluctant to get another shot in my soul. Still I believe that you are gonna save me, somehow I got a notion. Just a little affection on this cold and windy road. Save me from a state of unemotion._

- Save Me _by _Edguy

* * *

Katara closed her eyes instinctively as Zuko's lips pressed lightly to hers. Thoughts about why this was wrong and stupid fell away as though they were nothing more than raindrops. Her mind became pleasantly blank as she stood there and kissed the Fire Prince. An indistinguishable thought flickered through her mind and her stomach suddenly sank. She opened her eyes and pulled away slightly, looking to the ground. She heard Zuko sigh.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice not entirely surprised. He too leaned back, putting space between himself and the girl that he never wanted to let go of.

"Nothing," Katara whispered, although it was plain to see that she was lying.

"I know that there's something," Zuko said, his voice gentler.

"I…the last person that kissed me…" Katara started, her voice barely audible even in the silent night.

"Unless it was a member of your immediate family, then I don't think that's any of my business," Zuko shrugged uncomfortably. A throb of jealously pulsed through his chest at her words though, and he was now determined to find out who had gotten there before he had.

"It was Aang."

_And there we go, another conversation somehow leading back to the Avatar, _Zuko thought, chagrined. _Next time I'll kiss her just to shut her up._

"One of the last things that he did before he…before the battle was kiss me," Katara explained, her voice going higher as she became upset. "And I just stood there like a complete idiot and let him!"

"Did you kiss him back?" Zuko's question was like a thorn in his own throat.

"No," Katara answered, shaking her head and letting her hair sway slightly. "But I should have done! If I'd kissed him back then he would've been happy when he-"

"He was happy anyway," Zuko assured her, cutting her off.

Katara looked up at him, tears welling in her beautiful cerulean eyes. "How do you know?"

"He was in love with you," Zuko replied simply. "How could he not be happy?"

Katara raised her eyes to his, a thousand questions joining the liquid in her eyes. It slowly dawned on Zuko what he had just said. What he had just admitted.

_Did I mean that? It doesn't matter now, just think of something to say! _Zuko commanded himself, knives of panic stabbing at him. _Suggest going inside for a drink. No, that's stupid. But you can't stay out here, what if you made her uncomfortable? What if she doesn't feel the same way? Oh Gods, you've just made a complete idiot of yourself. You're on your own for this one._

"It's cold," Zuko finally decided, standing up straight.

"No, it isn't," Katara replied, bemused. The tears in her eyes had dried up. "Zuko, I-"

"Too fast, too soon," Zuko cut across, saving himself the humiliation of being rejected. He pushed past the low hanging branches and began to walk away. "I get it."

"That wasn't what I was going to say," Katara frowned after him. Zuko stopped and turned, half-hopeful. "But you're right," she continued softly. "I never know which side of Zuko I'm getting when I talk to you, and that worries me. Show me that I can trust you and then…"

"Work on the trust thing," Zuko nodded. "Got it."

"Be patient. These things don't just happen," Katara said, a warning in her quiet voice.

"I know," Zuko nodded again. Silence fell. He stood awkwardly for a few moments. "So…goodnight?"

"Yeah," Katara smiled. "Goodnight."

As Zuko walked away, Katara sighed and leant against the tree. That was one conversation that she had never expected to have. Had she done the right thing? It was here that the unanswerable questions started. Her stomach was doing somersaults over what had just happened, but she couldn't tell if it was in a good or bad way. She desperately needed someone to talk to, someone to tell her if she had just done something stupid. Someone who was impartial and gentle. But since no one like that was around, Katara would just have to talk to Toph.

* * *

"Have fun?"

The voice made Zuko jump as he walked past a shadowy archway of a corridor. He stopped sharply and, once his heart rate had returned to normal, squinted into the darkness. Mai was leaning sulkily against a wall.

"Yeah," Zuko replied coolly. "I did."

Had Mai seen him and Katara together, or was she just coincidently asking? No…the look on her darkened face told Zuko that she somehow knew.

"It was nice of you to invite the Earthbender," Mai continued icily.

Zuko sighed in frustration. "Is there anyone Toph hasn't told?"

"I know you, Zuko," Mai hissed. "All these things you're doing to get her to like you? They won't work."

He didn't have to ask who 'her' was. "You're starting to sound bitter," Zuko warned. "I'd stop if I were you."

"Funny," Mai mused, standing up straight. Her low voice assured Zuko that there was nothing humorous about the situation. "I was just about to say the same to you. You're starting to sound desperate."

"I'm not the one going around throwing myself at a promised man!" Zuko growled, beginning to lose his temper.

"No, you're the one throwing yourself at this Waterbender like she's someone special!"

"She _is_," Zuko hissed, narrowing his eyes. "You're so wrapped up in your own boredom that you can't see it. You claim that you still care for me, you must have noticed that she makes me happy."

"I wonder how long you'll keep this up for? This charade that you're someone you're not. I'll give you something to sleep on: you showed this girl who you really were and she rejected you. You send her flowers and pretty dresses and invite her friend over and suddenly she likes you? Something doesn't add up there."

Zuko gritted his teeth and walked away heatedly. He was not the man he was before. He had changed. Katara had played a major part in that, and that was the reason that he felt…strongly for her. Did he love her? He wasn't sure just yet. Things had changed greatly in the past couple of weeks and he was still trying to come to terms with them.

"The kindest thing you can do for her right now is to warn her before you come to your senses and then kick her ass back to the South Pole," Mai shouted spitefully. When Zuko carried on walking without a word, she let out a long, low hiss and sank back against the wall. It infuriated her to find that she was close to tears, but it wasn't exactly something that she could help. When she had received the invitation to the palace, she was so sure that Zuko had wanted to strike up their previous relationship. Rumors had been flying like daggers around the Fire Nation that the Fire Prince's future bride was wilful and insolent and that he was not happy with her. Mai had intended to rectify that, to take Katara's place as the future Fire Lady. She was so much better suited for the job than that Water Tribe peasant, who was hardly to be considered as royalty. The Fire Nation had a long line of Fire Lords from the same family and it was only fitting that a person of high social standing, like Mai, should become the wife of a royal. But the Waterbender? Her father puts on some headdress and suddenly his children are Prince and Princess. Not in Mai's lifetime.

Although she would never admit this, Mai missed Azula. Yes, okay, so the young woman had been dangerously unbalanced and bordering on psychotic, but she was also one of Mai's best friends. One of Mai's only friends. And Mai completely understood why Azula had to be sent away powerless, but that didn't mean that she couldn't miss her from time to time.

"_Drive that Water Wench into the ground_."Azula would say with a confident flick of her ebony hair if Mai confided in her right now. "_Make her realize what it means to be a true member of the Fire Nation._"

Or maybe Azula wouldn't bother with words. Maybe she would just solve the problem with a sharp but efficient blast of lightning. Either way, the problem would be solved. Mai sighed and stood up off the wall. She was going to find Ty Lee and contemplate ways of getting Zuko to fall in love with her again. It was harmless fun that Mai and Ty Lee had spent many an hour doing prior to Katara's arrival. Ty Lee hadn't always approved but she had sensed that it would make her best friend feel better and obliged. Whereas, again, Azula would have just shot a few blasts of fire and have done with it.

_Yeah, I miss Azula, _Mai thought as she sloped off to find her acrobat friend.

* * *

Katara had searched everywhere. She had checked the dining hall, the meeting rooms, even asked a passing servant if she was in the kitchens. But there had been no sign. Resigned, Katara had resolved to find her friend in the morning and have a talk with her then. Her heart was still beating quickly out of the thrill of uncertainty, fear and passion when she opened the door to her room. She took a few steps inside before it dawned on her that the servants had not lit the lamps as they normally did before she went to bed. As she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, a cautious voice rang out.

"Katara?"

Katara's heart immediately pummelled the inside of her chest. "Toph?" she asked, pressing a shuddering hand to her heart. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you light the lamps?"

"Well it turns out that lighting a room doesn't really help your visibility when you're already blind," Toph drawled. Through the darkness, Katara could see a dark figure standing beside the windows. "By the way," Toph continued, "you have a _great _view. And your room? The way it's decorated is amazing! And-"

"Okay, I get it," Katara said, laughing softly. "Stop making me feel bad."

"But it's fun. Why was your heart going so fast?" Toph wondered, taking a step forward.

"Isn't that generally what happens when you sneak up on someone?" Katara asked, confused.

"I meant before that," Toph replied with a shake of her head. "When you first walked into the room. It was like a little party in your chest." There was a pause. "Okay, that could have come out better."

"Yeah," Katara agreed, struggling for what to say. Should she admit that she kissed Zuko? Would Toph react badly or be pleased for her friend? "But there wasn't really a reason."

"It has something to do with Zuko, doesn't it?" At Katara's prolonged silence, Toph sighed. "I can always go up and ask him."

"So you're psychic as well as blind now?" Katara grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in preparation for the yelling at she was probably going to get.

"Nope, I'm just a good guesser," Toph grinned. "Also, being able to tell if people are lying or not works in my favor too."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Katara muttered. "Anyway, you never answered my question. What are you doing in my room?"

"You answer my question and I'll answer yours," Toph offered. "And don't waste my time by lying."

Katara sighed uncomfortably. "Zuko and I…sort of kissed."

Toph went very quiet for a moment, obviously knowing that Katara was telling the truth. Katara bit her lip anxiously. Would Toph consider it a betrayal that Katara was having types of feelings for their enemy?

"Do you love him?"

Toph's question caught Katara off guard. "N-no," she stammered, surprised by this question. "But I'm not sure that I hate him either."

"I don't know what to say," Toph admitted after another few moments of silence.

"Wow, there really is a first time for everything," Katara joked weakly, before sighing. "Toph, I know that you must be really disappointed, but this past month has been really difficult. And Zuko's been there for me. Most of the time. I've had no one else to turn to and I've felt so alone." A sob caught in Katara's throat and she stopped talking in order to compose herself. "Zuko was the only one there when I went into the throne room. He was all I had and…"

She trailed off, her eyes slowly widening in horror. _"Sooner or later, you're going to realize that I'm all you have." _Weren't those the exact words that Zuko had used? Katara had played straight into his hands by kissing him. She closed her eyes and exhaled quietly. She had every right to go up and smack him, but now feelings were involved and that just made everything more complicated. Katara really should give Zuko more credit; it appeared that he had picked up a few things from his sister over the years when it came to manipulating people.

"I understand, I guess," Toph said, although distaste colored her tone. "I suppose it was a little selfish to expect you to marry a guy and not have any feelings for him at all."

"Uh huh," Katara replied absently, still stunned that Zuko's prediction had come true. A sudden yawn ripped through her chest. "Can we talk more in the morning? I'm really tired."

"Sure," Toph shrugged. "And in case you were wondering, yours was the best room in the palace. I wasn't about to go for second best when I could sleep here."

Katara smiled sadly. She didn't buy Toph's bravado for a second. "It's okay, I don't like sleeping alone either."

"Tell no one," Toph warned, taking unsteady steps in the general direction of Katara's bed. "Hope you don't mind sharing the bed."

"Do I have a choice?" Katara asked, laughing. "Just let me go and change. The bathroom's only over there."

"Go for it," Toph yawned, climbing into the bed. "I was smart and changed before you got here."

Katara smiled but didn't say anything. She grabbed her nightclothes out of the wardrobe and walked into the bathroom. Her mind was elsewhere as she cleansed her face, stripped and quickly dressed again. Knowing that she wasn't alone anymore made her once rare smile a permanent fixture on her face as she walked back into her room and carefully over to her bed.

"It's a good job that this is a big bed," Katara mused as she climbed in. "Although we've slept in worse conditions."

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "I swear that my back still twinges from all those hard grounds that we slept on."

"What about me? I was doing it for a few months before you came along," Katara smiled. "Sleep well."

"You too."

Katara closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to wash over her. She felt Toph fidget beside, her but it was oddly comforting. It reminded her of the old days.

"Hey, pretty soon it'll be Zuko sleeping in bed beside you," Toph mused aloud, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Toph!" Katara frowned, her eyes shooting open.

"Okay, okay," Toph sighed, before grinning wickedly. "I guess you won't be doing much sleeping."

"Shut up," Katara advised her friend, rolling her eyes before she shut them again.

There was three minutes of blissful quiet.

"I wonder how many kids you'll have?"

"Toph," Katara growled in warning.

"I guess you'll start trying on your wedding night. That's a weird thought."

"I will kick you out of this bed in a minute," Katara muttered through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, that's not what you'll be saying to Zuko."

Katara kicked Toph, although she had to admit that she found the last line a little funny. Toph kicked back playfully. A small kicking war ensued, in which most over the bedcovers were lost on the floor. The girls stopped after a few minutes, giggling to themselves.

"We really should be getting some sleep," Katara said, getting over her laughing fit. She leaned over the side of the bed and pulled the covers back on the bed.

"You're right. Don't want you all tired out for when Zuko-"

"_Good night_."

Toph laughed quietly. "Night, Sugar Queen."

* * *

Zuko blinked through the darkness at the empty space in his bed. According to the Council, Katara would move into his room the night of their marriage. They were to start trying to conceive heirs as soon as they were wed. At eighteen years old, Zuko couldn't deny that he had thought about this on more than one occasion, but now that the wedding day was looming closer he was beginning to have doubts. Katara wouldn't be ready, he knew that. He didn't want to force himself on her - he would never do that to any woman, let alone one that he cared for - but was worried what the Council would say. It was an unwritten law of the Fire Nation monarchy that the Fire Lord and his wife begin trying to conceive as soon as they are married, in case anything unfortunate happens to the Fire Lord later on in life. Zuko would not pressure Katara into something as intimate as this, but knew that he would be encouraged to look elsewhere if his wife was not forthcoming.

_Sometimes I really hate the Fire Nation, _Zuko thought, rolling over onto his side and away from the space soon to be filled by Katara.

* * *

Morning dawned quicker than anyone could have anticipated, bringing with it another day of doubt and awkwardness. One day closer to the wedding. One day closer to the Day of Black Sun. Katara wasn't sure which she was dreading more.

She sat up in her bed, dragging the covers off the sleeping Toph as she did so. Sunlight streamed in through a large gap in the curtains and Katara squinted against it. A large strip of light had landed directly across Toph's face. She couldn't see it, of course, but the heat was irritating on her face.

"Why does it have to be so damn sunny in the Fire Nation?" Toph groaned. Katara looked at her friend in surprise, sure that she had been asleep.

"Probably something to do with the sun," Katara smiled, getting out of bed and standing up. "Sleep well?"

"Alright," Toph mumbled, shaking the dust out of her eyes. This of course made no difference, but she did it anyway. "I always sleep better when I'm with people."

"Oh really?" Katara smirked.

"Katara!" Toph complained, launching a pillow at her suggestive friend's head.

Katara nimbly dodged the poorly aimed pillow. "What, so it's only you who can make crude jokes?"

"Yes," Toph nodded. "That's exactly it." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "So, what do you do for breakfast around here?"

"You sound like Sokka," Katara laughed, making her way into the bathroom. "I normally have breakfast with Iroh. I'm sure that invite extends to you too."

"Will there be spicy stuff there?" Toph asked suspiciously.

"Actually it's pretty much just pastries and savory things. The Fire Nation are weird like that," Katara called, running the water and washing herself.

"You're telling me," Toph muttered, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. She waited until Katara came out before speaking again. "I'm pretty sure that this palace is haunted, you know."

"Oh?" Katara asked, drawing the water from her hair and ignoring the shudder that ran down her spine at the mention of ghosts. "Anyone we know?"

"I don't know," Toph admitted, a frown creasing her forehead. "I woke up last night and couldn't get back to sleep for awhile, so I started focusing on anything that I could hear. Mostly it was just servants' footsteps as they walked past the room. Then I heard someone walking past in a hurry. I recognized their footsteps from somewhere, but I can't place where."

Katara laughed with relief. "That doesn't mean that the palace is haunted, Toph. Maybe you just recognize them from the last time you were here?"

"No, it definitely isn't that. The footsteps were really familiar, but kind of different too. Hurried. Unnaturally so."

"Do ghosts walk?" Katara asked, pulling on an ankle length sapphire skirt and an equally blue top. Being with Toph had made her feel more at ease with wearing Water Tribe garments. "Because, last I heard, they floated."

"Hey, dismiss it all you want, but I heard what I heard," Toph said, narrowing her eyes.

"Okay," Katara said, holding her hands quickly in a defensive position. "Sorry. Do you need any help getting changed? Where are your clothes?"

"The servants who showed me here carried my luggage in and put it somewhere," Toph shrugged, all antagonism apparently gone. "Next to your wardrobe, probably."

Katara quickly scanned the room. Her eyes caught on a wooden chest tucked neatly away in a corner. "Got it."

After assisting her friend in getting ready, Katara pulled a face that Toph couldn't see. "Will you come with me for my tutoring today?"

"You have tutoring?" Toph asked, smirking.

"'Society lessons', Zuko calls them," Katara muttered. "It's basically hours of being taught things I really have no use for except at the occasional ball or dinner."

"That should be fun to go to," Toph grinned.

"Oh, it gets better," Katara promised darkly. "Turns out that my teachers are Azula's old mentors."

Toph snorted. "That's promising."

"That's what I said," Katara nodded. "But I don't have to worry about it until after breakfast. Are you coming?"

"Sure. Will Zuko be there?"

"He doesn't normally eat breakfast. He tends to train in the mornings anyway."

"You should try 'training' with him," Toph suggested evilly. "Kill him and make it look like an accident."

"Tried that," Katara shrugged. "Well, not the killing part. But the sparring part. It didn't end too well for me; Zuko puts as much effort into training as he does into actual battle."

She and Toph talked about Zuko all the way down to Iroh's room, where they were then presented with a range of breakfast options that all looked delicious.

"Enjoy," Iroh said happily, gesturing to the small table groaning under the weight of the food. "One of my guards, Fong, prepares some of these dishes. If he were not such a good bodyguard, then I would consider making him into my personal chef. Of course, I occasionally ask him to cook for special breakfasts like this. In fact, I let him have the morning off for doing such an excellent job. Tea?"

"Ginseng?" Toph guessed.

"What else?" Iroh smiled, pouring her a cup and then turning to Katara, who nodded gratefully. "How are your new mentors suiting you, Katara?"

"I preferred Arisu," Katara said truthfully, blowing the steam that hovered over the top of her cup and taking a sip of the hot leaf juice. "Li and Lo have…unusual teaching methods."

Iroh chuckled heartily. "This is true. But they came highly recommended from the Council. Considering it was not my choice to let Arisu go in the first place, I decided to let Zuko have his freedom on this particular decision."

"Thanks for that," Katara muttered. "It worked out fabulously."

"Blame Zuko," Iroh shrugged. He took a sip of his tea, before violently coughing and spluttering. "A little too hot."

"That's kind of ironic," Toph pointed out. "I thought Firebenders could change the temperature of something?"

"We can," Iroh nodded, wiping his mouth delicately on a napkin that lay on his kneeling lap. "But I was distracted. It is entirely my own fault."

Katara glanced out of the window at the sun. Judging from its position in the sky, she deemed it time to go to her society lessons. After briefly explaining this to Toph and Iroh, she bade farewell and left, closely followed by Toph who was apparently serious about watching Katara being mentored by legendary Fire Nation tutors.

"They can't be that bad," Toph scoffed as Katara opened the door to her practice room.

"You're late," Li frowned. "As the future Fire Lady, unable to keep correct time is a sign of sloppiness…"

"…disobedience…"

"…and incapability," both the twins finished. "It will not be tolerated."

Katara turned to Toph, who seemed to know that her friend was raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, maybe you're right," Toph amended.

"Told you," Katara muttered. She led Toph to a seat against part of the vast windows on the other side of the room and turned back to her mentors.

"I seek your forgiveness," she said, bowing and trying to sound sincere. "I meant no disrespect and it will not happen again."

"Your apology is accepted, Lady Katara," Lo nodded approvingly. "We are aware that you are a Waterbender-"

"As everyone else in the world is aware of," Toph pointed out from her seat.

"And have therefore decided to incorporate bending into this lesson," Li finished, ignoring Toph's interruption.

Katara's face lit up, the sunlight that shone through the windows resting on her smile. When Li (at least, Katara assumed that it was Li; she was just guessing and hoping that neither twin would ask her to call them by name) brought over a ceramic pot about the size of Katara's forearm however, her face rapidly dropped. The slim, brick-red jug was filled with water that the light bounced off. Guessing what she would have to do, Katara sighed and took the jug off Li.

"My posture?" she asked in a resigned voice.

"You catch on quickly," Lo nodded, her scratchy voice carrying the faintest hint of amusement.

Vaguely aware of Toph sitting in the corner shaking with silent laughter, Katara lifting the heavy jug with quivering arms and placed it on her head. The smooth, hard bottom rested uncomfortably on her hair as it pressed down heavily on her head.

"Concentrate on keeping the water still so it does not jostle the jug," Li instructed.

"Walk to the other end of the room," Lo finished.

Muttering curses under her breath, Katara slowly lowered her hands and began to creep tentatively across the room. She moved each foot out in front of her as though she were about to step on a bomb with every step.

"Quicker!" Li and Lo barked.

_Breathe…focus on the water…good. Quicken your pace…good, _Katara silently congratulated herself. Without warning, the door slammed open on her way back to Li and Lo. Startled, Katara swivelled her head so fast that the jug flew off her head and smashed to the floor. Losing her concentration, she lost control of the water and it sloshed onto her head. Scowling and wiping wet strands of hair from her eyes, Katara glared at whoever had just entered the room.

"Nice control," Mai smirked. "Your form needs a little work though."

She, Ty Lee and Zuko all stood in the doorway, peering in curiously. Katara raised an eyebrow at Zuko, who shrugged and smiled slightly.

"I know it's difficult to learn to walk, but I'm sure you'll get there!" Mai said, insincerity dripping with every word of her 'encouragement'.

"Get this!" Katara growled, withdrawing the water from her sodden clothes and hurling it at the door. Zuko reached across and slammed the door shut before any of them could get wet, and the water slammed into the closed wooden door with such a force that cracks began to appear in it. Getting her breath back to normal, Katara turned around sheepishly. Toph applauded her, but Lo and Li glared.

"Not only did that comeback make no sense…"

"…but it is highly inappropriate to attack all those who jest."

"Jest?" Katara repeated incredulously. "She was deliberately antagonizing me!"

"Lady Mai would not do such a thing," Lo sniffed dismissively. "She is a young woman of proper poise and elegance. She is a good role model for you."

Katara snorted derisively. The elderly twins turned to her, scandalised. Katara sighed. "Unladylike, I know."

"Indeed. It is fortunate that we have spare pots that you may practice with."

And with that, Katara spent the rest of her lesson learning to walk in such a way that was not only foolish, but was also highly uncomfortable.

* * *

"What a way to spend an afternoon," Toph commented dryly as she and Katara made their way down to the gardens.

"Hey, I have to do that every day for a good long while," Katara frowned. "You get off lightly in comparison. In fact-"

"Uh oh," Toph interrupted, stopping in her tracks.

"What is it?" Katara asked, startled. She also stopped walking.

"Company in the gardens. I'm sure you can guess who."

"So?" Katara frowned. "Why is that a reason to go 'uh oh'? After all the things we've been through, you really shouldn't use that phrase lightly."

"I'm saying 'uh oh' because my mind's gone blank and I can't think of any insults," Toph informed Katara. "This hasn't happened before. What am I going to do?"

"Be civil?" Katara suggested. There was a slight pause before they both began to laugh. "Okay, but seriously, you should just go out there and improvise."

"Go in there blind?" Toph mused, mulling the words over. "No irony intended."

"It's worth a try," Katara shrugged, beginning to walk again. Toph quickly caught up and the two ambled into the gardens. Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko were sitting near the fountains, chatting idly. Katara led Toph to a bench a little way away from them. Both sides were silent for a moment.

"So Katara…remember that guy you had a huge crush on? Jet, was it?" Toph asked, her casual voice louder than was strictly necessary.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked quietly, unable to suppress a smile at her friend.

"Improvising," Toph shrugged, before making her next words carry across the beautiful garden. "He liked you back as well. You two would have made a _great _couple."

"You know that Zuko and I can play this game a lot better than you can, right?" Mai asked, arching her dark eyebrow.

"She's got a point," Katara muttered grudgingly to Toph. "Better change tactic."

"Gotcha," Toph nodded. "Exactly how many times did you, Sokka and Aang kick Zuko's ass before he grew a pair and started fighting back properly?"

Katara rolled her eyes and groaned at this new direction that the questions were going in. Toph was smirking, Zuko and Mai were looking annoyed. Ty Lee, however, pouted in confusion.

"Grew a pair of what?" she asked innocently, her wide eyes showing her sincerity.

Katara pressed her lips together tightly to stop herself from laughing, although a light blush crept onto her cheeks. Toph was less subtle. After that, no one talked much. Katara surreptitiously flicked water from the fountain onto Mai every so often, but would turn away and look guiltless whenever Mai's narrowed eyes would rest on her. After fifteen minutes of practically non-stop water flicking, Mai snapped.

"That's _really_ annoying," she snarled. "Unless you want me to sever those fingers of yours, you'll stop."

"Relax, it's just a little water," Zuko said, raising his eyebrow at Mai's reaction.

Smiling evilly, Katara projected a whole stream of shining water onto Zuko's head. He glared at her.

"It's just a little water," she shrugged, a smile creeping onto her face. "Besides, you were asking for it."

Zuko lit a fireball in the palm of his hand. Feeling that the game was about to take a serious turn, Katara frowned and stood up. Zuko wouldn't attack her, not if he was serious about winning her affections. Then again, he was plenty stupid enough to do something like that. Zuko also stood up and took the few steps that were needed to bridge the space between the two groups. Katara took a step back as he raised his palm.

"It's just a little fire," he said coolly. Katara stared at him, trying to decipher what he was going to do. Worried that he was going to do something foolish, Katara drew out some water from her water skin and doused the flame.

"And now it's not," she said, equally chilly.

Zuko smirked. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to hurt you."

"I know," Katara assured him with a wide smile. "Hope you've got something dry to change into. See you at dinner."

Toph knew what was going to happen and got out of the way before Katara created a wave from the fountain and swept it over Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee. As the three sodden teenagers began to wring the water out of their clothes and mutter disparagingly, Toph and Katara walked away, grinning.

"That was awesome," Toph praised as they made their way through the corridor.

"I know," Katara giggled. "Zuko won't be happy later though."

"Zuko's never happy," Toph shrugged.

_He seems happy when he's with me, _Katara thought, but didn't want to voice this. "Come on, we should get changed for dinner."

"Is this what everyday is like for you?" Toph asked as they climbed the stairs.

"No," Katara replied. "Today's been weirdly calm. And if anything bad happens now, it'll be my fault for saying that."

"It'd be like irony and Karma mixed into a bowl of vengeance," Toph agreed with a laugh. "Don't worry, I'll kick Karma's ass if it tries anything."

Both girls fell silent as they passed along the corridor to the throne room. Katara didn't know how Toph had recognized the fateful room but judging by the way the young girl had stiffened, she had. Katara rested a gentle hand on Toph's shoulder.

"We can go inside, if you want," she offered quietly. She herself had no desire to go into the throne room, but if it was somehow therapeutic to Toph then was prepared to do so.

"No," Toph replied sadly. "Not just yet. I don't think I'm ready."

Katara nodded in understanding. "Tell me when you are."

"I miss him," Toph whispered, her small voice fracturing. "I didn't think that it would hurt like this."

"I know," Katara murmured, drawing Toph closer to her and hugging the small girl. "But it gets better, I promise. Are you still having the dreams?"

Toph nodded against Katara's chest, tears seeping into her sightless eyes. "Every night. I just hear screaming. Over and over, just screaming."

"It'll fade," Katara assured, looking sadly at the throne room door. "The dreams used to wake me up every night, but after awhile you just learn to sleep through them. I still have them, sometimes, but it's not on the same scale. Believe it or not, it's better in the long run if you face up to it and go back into the throne room."

"I don't see why," Toph said, pulling away from Katara. "It's not like I can see anything in there."

"Maybe not, but you'll still get closure."

"I don't want to," Toph admitted in a tiny voice, so different from her normal sarcastic, loud drawl. "I'm a little scared."

"It's understandable," Katara nodded. "What we saw - heard - was something that no one should ever have to see or hear. It's going to haunt us for the rest of our lives, but I've faced up to it and now it isn't so bad."

"Yeah, you've just got to marry the man that did it," Toph said venomously, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeves. "What a reminder."

"No one said it'd be easy," Katara mumbled. "But that's the price I have to pay for peace, and I'm prepared to sacrifice my freedom." She paused and took Toph's hand. "Come on, it's time to remember."

The two young women entered the room that held the key to all of their nightmares. When the door had shut again, Mai, Zuko and Ty Lee stuck their heads around the corner.

"Well, that was pathetic," Mai said, rolling her eyes.

"We shouldn't have been eavesdropping," Ty Lee said worriedly, biting down on her lower lip. "Especially not on something like that."

"We didn't eavesdrop; it isn't our fault that they were talking as we happened to be walking near them," Mai shrugged, turning the corner carelessly and striding down it. Her shoes slopped wetly on the tiled floor, still drenched from Katara's little trick before.

"Don't say anything to them," Zuko warned quietly. Hearing first-hand what Katara had been through - was still going through - hurt him. He knew that it had been difficult for her, of course, but he'd had no idea that dreams still stalked her. "As far as they know, we've been in the gardens all afternoon."

"Whatever," Mai called back, shrugging again. "I'm going to get changed. Stupid Water Tribe peasant."

Zuko ignored the last little bit muttered perfectly audibly under Mai's breath. Ty Lee smiled slightly at him before bounding after her friend, chatting animatedly as though she had not heard what had just been said. Sighing, the Fire Prince decided to back to his room. He had some serious brooding to do.

* * *

"Dinner was excellent," Iroh commented happily, patting his stomach in a satisfied way. "The salted squish in particular was divine."

A general murmur rose from the teenagers sitting near him and from the elderly couple here on Iroh's invitation. Katara didn't know who they were; she hadn't been paying attention. Her mind had been on Toph and how she was faring after visiting the throne room. The blind Earthbender had become very quiet after going back to Katara's room. She had dressed silently and hardly offered anything for conversation during dinner. The elderly guests probably thought that Toph really was just a helpless little blind girl by the way she had been acting.

Zuko had caught Katara's eye several times during the courses and had given her a small smile each time. The corners of Katara's mouth lifted upwards in response, although this was more of a reaction that being friendly. After the dishes were being cleared away, Zuko cleared his throat.

"If you will excuse us, Lady Katara and I have important wedding plans to discuss," he said, standing up and meeting the eyes of everyone at the table.

_We do? _Katara wondered silently, but played along anyway. She nodded and stood up also, bowing to her guests. Everyone at the table stood up as the teenagers walked away in silence.

"So…when will the wedding be?" Katara asked, her stomach jumping as she spoke the words.

"I don't know," Zuko shrugged. "I'll have to double check."

He took Katara's hand and led her down darkened corridors. He pushed open a door at random and walked inside, taking Katara with him. The walls were lined with cases and cases of books, much to Katara's delight. She enjoyed reading but hadn't had anything interesting to read since arriving here.

"You flaked out on dinner so that you could read?" Katara guessed, trying to shake off Zuko's hand so that she could explore the dusty shelves.

"Not exactly," Zuko smiled, holding onto her hand tightly and bringing her closer to him. She uncertainly stopped herself from getting too close and hung back slightly. Sensing that she felt awkward, Zuko dropped her hand. "What was wrong with Toph?"

"She's just tired," Katara lied, unsure if Toph would want anyone to know how upset she was.

Zuko raised his eyebrow at the lie but didn't press the matter. The words that he was thinking would probably come out pathetically if he said them out loud, but he figured that it would be worth a shot. Before he could, however, Katara began to talk.

"Zuko, about what happened last night-"

"Do you regret it?" he cut her off, his chest constricting tightly for the moment.

"No," Katara smiled, as this were the most obvious thing in the world. "But I didn't know if you did. Before, in the gardens, you were a little…"

"Like the side of Zuko that you don't like?" he offered. She smiled slightly and nodded. "I don't really know what came over me. When you're around me I feel different. In a good way," he added hastily when her face fell. "But I'm not sure if it shows, and I don't want to look weak. Do you understand?"

"Kind of," Katara sighed. "But it really doesn't matter if you look weak or not, Zuko. Everyone that matters knows that you aren't."

"I suppose," he said, averting his eyes as he prepared to speak his mind. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you. I didn't expect you to just get over what happened to the Avatar and if you want to talk about him, or anything, then I'm here. Not that I think that you need to tell me everything, because I don't, but if you want to talk-"

"You're rambling," Katara smiled. She had no desire to talk to Zuko about Aang; those two worlds were something that she wasn't prepared to entwine more than she already had. Still, it must have taken a lot for Zuko to say something like that and she found that she appreciated it. As confused as she was at the moment regarding Zuko, she took a step forward towards him. "But thanks."

"Anytime," Zuko murmured as Katara reached up to kiss him. As her lips touched his, he threw caution to the wind and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him. In turn, Katara placed her hand gently on the back of his head, afraid that he might pull away. It was times like these that she wondered why she was confused about Zuko. He had nice hair and was a good kisser. In the end, wasn't that the most important thing? The part of her brain that would normally tell her that she was wrong was too busy being blinded by the heat of the moment.

* * *

"Have you seen my nephew and Katara?" Iroh frowned to Toph as they walked down the corridor after dinner.

"If I had seen anything at all, then it'd be a miracle," Toph replied dryly. "But no, I don't know where they are."

She suddenly stopped and turned to her right. A door was slightly ajar, not that that mattered to the blind Toph. But judging by the heartbeats of the couple inside, she could paint a fair picture of what was going on. Iroh noticed that Toph had stopped and looked down at her questioningly. Sensing his confusion, Toph wrinkled her nose.

"I wouldn't go in there, if I were you," she advised the Fire Lord before carrying on down the corridor.

His curiosity piqued, Iroh crept over to the gap in the door and peered in. Zuko and Katara seemed to have accidentally stuck their lips together, judging by their stubborn refusal to let the other go. Iroh smiled and tiptoed his way over to Toph.

"Teenagers," he laughed.

"Tell me about it," Toph replied, smiling despite rolling her eyes.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Zuko and Katara…happy? Wonder how long that's gonna last.**

**The song for this chapter can apply to both Zuko and Katara, depending on which lyrics you're looking at. My friend recommended it to me, and it's darn addictive. Little romantic song for this chapter (: I was going to go for the random 'Do You Like Waffles?' song (which me and my friends sing frequently and loudly in public) but decided against it. However, definitely check the waffle song out on YouTube :D**

**I guess this was a filler chapter, although some characters were developed a little. Next chapter will be less fillerish.**

**Thank you so much to all of my reviewers, I'm incredibly grateful to you all :D**

**Have a great week!**

**- Momo**


	16. Every You, Every Me

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Carve your name into my arm, instead of stressed I lie here charmed. 'Cause there's nothing else to do, every me and every you. Another love I would abuse, no circumstances could excuse. Too much poison come undone. I serve my head up on a plate, it's only comfort calling late. Like the naked leads the blind, I know I'm selfish, I'm unkind. Sucker love, I always find someone to bruise and leave behind. All alone in space and time, there's nothing here, but what here's mine. Every me and every you…_

- Every You, Every Me _by_ Placebo

* * *

"Come on, Sugar Queen, you've only starting not hating the guy for a couple of days!" Toph scoffed, coming out of the bathroom and pushing her short, wet hair behind her ears.

"I know," Katara shrugged. She was sat down and carefully doing her hair in the mirror on top of the desk. "I'm not proclaiming my undying love for him or anything, I'm just saying that he isn't the bad person that you're making him out to be."

Toph snorted loudly, hurling herself onto Katara's bed and lying there spread-eagled. Katara glanced up from the mirror to give Toph a pointless disapproving look before leaning forward to wrangle her chocolate hair into a bun. It took a few minutes and a great deal of cursing under her breath, but Katara finally managed it. She fastened the knot of hair with an ornate Water Tribe clip and let her two trademark strands of hair dangle on her cheeks. She smiled at her reflection.

"I just don't like the effect that he's having on you," Toph murmured, closing her eyes. "It isn't like you, sneaking off and making out in a supply closet."

"It wasn't a supply closet," Katara muttered, her cheeks glowing a delicate pink. "And I know that it's happened a little fast but when I'm with Zuko I don't have to think about anything else."

"That's not exactly the words of someone in love," Toph said sceptically.

"I told you, I'm not in love," Katara replied, rolling her eyes. She swivelled her body around to face Toph on the bed. "I don't really know how I feel at the moment. Things are a little confusing."

"Could just be passion…y'know, heat of the moment and all that," Toph said sarcastically. "Although you could've chosen someone better to have a connection to than-"

"My future husband?" Katara asked, raising her eyebrows. "Toph, I know that you don't like it but you're going to have to get used to it. When I'm not around Zuko, it's easy to remember all the things that he's done and hate him for them."

"Well, there are a lot," Toph agreed.

"But when I'm with him," Katara carried on, irritated, "those things kind of just fly away. At the moment, I can think of a million reasons that being with him is stupid, but I can guarantee that later I won't be able to think of one."

"And he feels the same way?" Toph's voice was deeply disbelieving.

"I don't know," Katara lied. Zuko had dropped anvil-sized hints that he liked her back, but who could tell with him?

"I give it two and a half days before he finds a way to mess up," Toph shrugged.

"Why are you being so unsupportive?" Katara scowled.

"Because I know that this won't end well and I'm not going to waste my time pretending to be happy for you." Toph sat up, the sunlight that streamed in through the windows shining onto her dark hair. "He'll only end up hurting you."

"I could really use a friend right now," Katara frowned, standing up. "As much as you hate Zuko, you're forgetting that he's been the only one that's been here for me over the past month."

"He's the reason you're here!" Toph shouted, standing up sharply. "Or have you completely forgotten that?"

"How could I forget?" Katara hissed, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "I watched Aang fall for last time that day. Do you honestly think that I don't feel guilty for being here instead of him? Honestly think that I don't hate myself for kissing Zuko and liking it?"

"Doesn't seem to stop you from doing it, though!" Toph answered angrily, clenching her small fists. "You're such a hypocrite!"

"How am I a hypocrite?" Katara asked, outraged. "I'm trying to make the best out of this!"

"Whatever, Sugar Queen," Toph snarled. "As far as I can tell, you're just using Aang as an excuse to make out with someone you hate."

Katara reeled back as though she had been slapped. She struggled to form coherent words for a minute, such was the extent of her anger.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she spat finally. "Zuko can look after me and I don't need a reason to feel something other than hate towards him! I've got breakfast with Iroh that I've got to get to. Come along if you can drag yourself away from your ridiculous theories for more than five minutes!"

Katara flounced out of the room, Toph hot on her heels. It seemed that the Earthbender didn't want to miss breakfast, even if it meant putting up with Katara. The scowling girls walked silently to Iroh's tearoom, each refusing to talk the other. Their echoing footsteps were the only sound as they stormed down the hallways. When they reached their destination, the two guards stationed outside the door inclined their heads to the young women, who were both too infuriated to respond. One guard turned to the door and rapped lightly on it.

"Your Highness? Lady Katara and Lady Toph are here to see you," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "The Fire Lord hasn't been well recently," the guard murmured to Katara and Toph as he waited for Iroh to reply. "His illness got worse in the night."

Katara frowned in worry. "Will he be okay?"

"I'm sure that he'll be fine," the other guard smiled. "I expect that it is just the excitement of the upcoming wedding."

"Yeah, that's gotta be it," Toph muttered. "It's making me ill, too." Katara shot her a dirty look.

"Come in," came Iroh's voice, raspy and weak. Katara's frown deepened as she pushed opened the door and took a few cautious steps inside. The normally dim room was almost filled with impenetrable blackness; all the windows had been blocked with heavier curtains than before and no lamps or even candles were lit. Iroh was slumped on a large pile of cushions amid the darkness.

"Are you okay?" Katara breathed, rushing over to the Fire Lord's side and hurriedly crouching down on the floor beside him. Even in the darkness Iroh looked unnaturally pale. Iroh glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Okay, stupid question," she amended, biting her lip in worry. She heard rather than saw Toph sit on the other side of Iroh.

"His heart is beating way quicker than it should be," Toph murmured.

"I'm fine," Iroh dismissed, sitting himself up. "If you would kindly draw the tea table up, we can start breakfast."

"Iroh, I really think that you should-"

"I'm fine!" Iroh snapped. Katara drew back, stunned. Iroh sighed and closed his eyes. "My apologies, Lady Katara. It's been a difficult week and I have not yet caught up on my sleep."

"It-it's okay," Katara stammered quietly, still shocked by Iroh's outburst. She couldn't blame him, of course, but she had never heard him shout like that. "Let's eat."

Still on her knees, she reached forward and carefully pulled the small table towards them. This wasn't easy in the dark, but her eyes were quickly adjusting and she only almost spilt something once. She stopped when the table, laden with the usual food and tea, reached near Iroh.

"Don't you want some light in the room?" Katara asked uneasily, wary that Iroh would shout at her again.

"It's dark?" Toph asked suddenly in surprise. "I just thought that you were being extra clumsy, Sugar Queen."

"Funny," Katara hissed, stung. She thought that she had been doing alright considering the lack of vision.

"Girls," Iroh cut in wearily, a father chastising his two squabbling daughters.

"Sorry," Toph and Katara muttered.

Although Iroh barely ate anything, he seemed to cheer up during the course of breakfast. He asked Toph how she liked the palace and compared it to how Katara first reacted to being here. After Toph had finished talking, Iroh chuckled and commented on how Toph's reaction was similar to Katara's, although Katara fought with Zuko a lot more and destroyed quite a bit of palace grounds.

"It wasn't that much," Katara objected, bringing the teacup to her lips and taking a small sip. The taste was oddly bitter, reflecting that of the relationships in the palace.

"You obliterated your bathroom and attacked a stone Fire Nation insignia to the extent that it was unrecognisable. Not to mention you assaulted palace guards and frequently disobeyed rules made in order to keep you safe," Iroh reminded, his dim eyes regaining some of the sparkle that had been lost to illness.

"But apart from that, it wasn't that much," Katara said after a moment. Iroh smiled and Toph looked impressed.

"And here I thought the Fire Nation had tamed you, Sweetness," she drawled, reaching out and taking another bite of pastry.

"Far from it," Iroh laughed. His laugh quickly turned into a coughing fit. When it subsided, he took a long draught of tea and exhaled heavily. "Ouch."

"When did you start coughing like that?" Katara asked, unable to hide her worry.

"It has gotten worse in the past two days," Iroh rasped, his voice scratchy after the fit.

"I really think that you should get a healer in here," Toph chimed in. "A professional one. Or Katara could just do it."

"Thanks Toph," Katara growled, glowering at her friend before turning back to Iroh. "But I'm with her, you should get someone to see to it."

"It's just a chesty cough, it'll pass in a few days," Iroh dismissed, heaving himself up with difficulty. Katara grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling back down. Once he was on his feet more or less steadily, Katara took a step back.

"We should leave you to get some rest," she decided slowly. "Call for us if you need company."

"I'll be fine," Iroh insisted once again.

"Right," Katara nodded hesitantly.

She walked over to where she assumed the door was and put a hand on the handle. The moment she turned it came a grunt and a loud thump. Fearing the worst, her eyes widened as she flew around. Iroh lay on the floor, motionless. Toph leant over him and shook his shoulder. Katara cursed lowly and flung the door open.

"The Fire Lord's collapsed!" she screamed to the guards. "Get help!"

She scrambled back inside and, using the light that spilled into the room from the open door, wrenched apart the curtains. Sunlight streamed into the room and rested on Iroh.

"Can't you heal him?" Toph asked frantically.

"I don't think so," Katara replied helplessly. "Healing only works on physical wounds."

"His heart's going faster than ever," Toph murmured, placing a hand on Iroh's chest. "If we don't do something soon-"

"I know," Katara said through gritted teeth. "He'll die."

Within five minutes a female healer had been summoned. She crouched next to Iroh and murmured intelligible things under her breath. She took out several vials and uncorked them, wafting the odor underneath Iroh's nose.

"Get the Fire Prince, please," the healer said to Katara and Toph. "He should be in his room."

"I'm not going to leave Iroh," Katara frowned, immediately clutching Iroh's hand.

"He'll be fine," the healer assured her quietly. "But Prince Zuko really must be notified. It is procedure for the next of kin to be notified when the current ruler falls ill."

"Can't you send a servant?" Toph asked, frowning.

"I would rather ask someone who can handle the Prince's…temper than a servant," the healer answered apologetically. "I cannot afford to heal more than one person when the Fire Lord is in this condition."

Katara deliberated for a moment. Zuko deserved to know about his uncle.

"I'll be back before you know it," she whispered to Iroh, before quickly standing up and running from the room. She heard footsteps behind her on the corridor and, turning her head, saw Toph sprinting after her.

"I'm not letting you tell him alone," the Earthbender said by way of explanation.

Katara smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"He'll be alright, you know," Toph said as they both continued to run to Zuko's room. "Iroh, I mean."

"I hope so," Katara replied with a shaky laugh that might as well have been a sob. "He's the only one in this damn family that I can stand."

Toph laughed quietly. "That you can stand on a regular basis, you mean."

"I don't want to get into an argument about Zuko right now," Katara replied, a warning edge to her tone. Let's just tell him about Iroh first."

* * *

Zuko looked up as someone knocked on his bedroom door. It was still early and he had only returned from training a few minutes ago. If the caller had been a few minutes earlier then they would have caught him bathing. He scanned the room for a clean shirt but found nothing. Deciding that the visitor would just have to see him in nothing more than pants, he sighed and called for whoever it was to come in.

The door tentatively opened and Mai stepped inside. Zuko mentally groaned but let no emotions slip onto his face.

"Hey Zuko," Mai said hesitantly. She seemed nervous.

"Mai," Zuko nodded curtly in return. "What brings you here?"

Mai walked lightly across the room to stand just in front of Zuko, her loose clothes swaying as she came to a halt.

"Actually, I…" she sighed and looked up at Zuko with imploring eyes. "I came to apologize."

"Really?" Zuko asked cautiously, uncomfortable with how close Mai was getting to his bare chest.

"Yeah. It isn't fair that I keep talking about getting back together when you're getting married to someone else." Even while she was speaking, Mai inched closer until she was too close for Zuko's comfort. "It's just," she continued, her voice getting lower and quieter. "I miss being with you."And here's what she came here to say,

"Mai, no," he said with a frown as she tilted her head upwards towards him. Unsure what else to do, he put his hands on her shoulders, intending on pushing her away once he had finished talking. "I'm marrying someone else and I don't want to wreck it before it's even started. Katara doesn't deserve that and I'm not going to be the one that hurts her. Again."

"Agni," Mai scowled in disgust, all pretences vanishing. "You're in love with her."

Zuko paused before answering. "Yeah, I am."

Of course, at that particular moment the door slammed open.

"Something's wrong!" Katara shouted as she and Toph burst into the room. She faltered and stopped as she took in the scene before her, her eyes flickering from Zuko to Mai. Toph stopped beside Katara and whistled lowly.

"I'll say," she murmured, 'seeing' the compromising position that Zuko and Mai were in and registering the racing heartbeats of everyone in the room.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Mai sighed as Zuko broke free of her embrace.

"I'll knock you into next week in a moment," Toph threatened.

Mai didn't respond and the room quickly fell silent. Katara's eyes were shining as she stared at Zuko, her brow rutted slightly as she struggled to understand why a shirtless Zuko and his ex-girlfriend were standing alone in his room in such a way. She tried to find her voice but it was lost. After an eternity, Zuko stepped forward.

"Katara-"

"Iroh isn't well," Katara cut off. It surprised her how calm and steady her voice was. "He collapsed a little while ago. He's in his room; you should probably go and see him."

Zuko looked away from her eyes, unable to deal with the emotions held inside them. "Okay," he muttered, retrieving a fresh shirt from his wardrobe and pulling it on over his head. "Are you coming with me?"

"I promised Iroh I'd be back," Katara shrugged, an odd, numb feeling encasing her. She opened her mouth to say something else but decided against it and turned away. She exited the room without another word.

"You're an idiot," Toph hissed to Zuko. "The only reason I'm not kicking your ass myself right now is because I know that Sugar Queen will do it herself when she comes to her senses."

"I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you that it wasn't what it looked like?" Zuko asked wearily.

"I know how fast your hearts were beating and that's proof enough that you're way too good for Katara, you lying, cheating piece of scum!" Toph raged, storming out the room and disappearing from sight.

"Well that was slightly over the…where are you going?" Mai frowned as Zuko left the room in a hurry. "Your uncle will be fine for another few minutes."

Zuko didn't answer. The past few minutes had been a blur of ridiculous bad luck and fate picking on him again. He tore down the corridors in search for his uncle and future wife. The occasional servant had to almost dive out of the way as the Prince ran past, too lost in his thoughts to apologize. How would he explain his way out of this one? Katara would obviously jump to the wrong conclusions even more than she already had if he kept silent on the topic, but if he tried to tell her that he was innocent then he would probably manage to spectacularly mess it up and end up worse off than he was before. He could ask Toph to do that freaky lie detector thing that Katara had once mentioned. Yeah, that'd work. He'd try that, but only if talking to Katara failed. Coming to a skidding halt outside Iroh's room, Zuko waited for the guards to stop bowing and move aside. He entered the room, his unwilling eyes sliding to his motionless uncle on the floor. Iroh had been propped up by numerous fluffy cushions, but their flamboyant colors only drew attention to his unnaturally pale face. For one heart-stopping moment, Zuko feared that his uncle was dead.

"Prince Zuko," a woman that Zuko briefly recognized as a healer said, bowing her head. "The Fire Lord is very unwell. I do not recognize what is wrong with him, therefore I cannot give him any strong medicinal herbs in case they make him worse. However, he has taken some basic remedies which stabilised his heart for the time being. We will be moving him to the palace infirmary as soon as possible…with your permission, of course."

"That's fine," Zuko answered, his voice strangled. He couldn't take his eyes off Iroh. The elderly man was frail and showed his age for the first time. It had never properly struck Zuko that Iroh was so…old. "Can I have a minute alone?"

"Of course," the healer said, bowing again. She and the guards left the room.

Katara stepped out of the corners of the room and stood next to Zuko. Although she remained silent, the jugs of water used to cool down the Fire Lord were shaking violently.

"I'm sorry," Zuko murmured, keeping his eyes fixed downwards. In a brave effort, he reached out his hand and gently clasped it with hers. Katara jerked it away.

"What, that you got caught?" she hissed. "That you've been sneaking around behind my back? That you've made a complete idiot out of me again? We're getting married, Zuko. Married! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does," Zuko replied, tearing his eyes away from Iroh and looking at Katara. Her eyes were murderous. "You know that."

"Do I? I've been reading up on past Fire Lords and their wives. Almost every single one of them slept with other women while they were still married, did you know that?"

Zuko nodded once. "Monogamy isn't a popular belief in the Fire Nation Monarchy."

Katara sighed in disgust. "Evidently. But I'm not going to be one of those women. I'm not going to sit there and look pretty while you make your way around the city!"

"I would never ask you to!" Zuko replied heatedly. "It wasn't what it looked like. Believe it or not, I respect you. That's why, when Mai asked if we could get back together, I said no."

"It didn't look like it from where I was standing," Katara hissed. She felt the water jug tip over and spill water all over the floor. The liquid slowly began creeping over the carpeted floor and sank into the fabric. Deciding not to let the water go to waste, Katara summoned it upwards and hurled it at Zuko. Not expecting the torrent of water coming his way, Zuko staggered under the weight of it. He fell to the floor with a thump.

"Katara-"

"I'm done," Katara spat down at him. "I've had enough. Forget the Water Tribe. Marry Mai. Because the fact is, water and fire don't belong together. In an agreement or in marriage."

She turned and strode angrily out of the room, pausing only to slam the door shut. The startled guards opened the door cautiously and peeked inside. They were evidently just checking if Zuko and Iroh were okay but after the look that Zuko shot them, they quickly retreated and closed the door softly. Zuko closed his eyes and sighed, turning to his still unconscious uncle.

"Why don't things go right for me?" he asked dejectedly. "Don't you think that I deserve a little bit of happiness?"

Although Iroh remained silent, Zuko could hear his uncle's past words echoing inside his head. Something that is easily attained is not worth attaining. Zuko almost snorted. That had been when Zuko was a child and trying to learn a particularly difficult Firebending move. He had practiced for days on end and finally perfected it. Of course it was something Azula had learned to do when she was three, but Zuko was still left with a feeling of gratification. He supposed that his relationship with Katara was along the lines of learning the Firebending move (although if he ever compared her to a fighting technique then she would most likely kill him) - difficult but worth it. If he really felt strongly for Katara then he would persevere to win her affection. He was partly there when he kissed her, so surely it couldn't be that difficult to regain it.

Feeling a new surge of confidence and hope, Zuko grinned down at Iroh. "Thanks Uncle," he said, standing up and leaving the room and almost walking into the healer. "Wouldn't he be more secure in his own room instead of the infirmary?"

"Wherever your highness thinks is best," the healer nodded with a bow. "I can treat him just as easily as in the infirmary."

Zuko thought, resisting the strong urge to roll his eyes. Mai slipped her hands around his waist, managing to be quick and seductive at the same time. Zuko held up his hands defensively, trying not to knock her arms and give her the wrong impression.

"Look after him," Zuko instructed. The healer nodded again and Zuko left to go back to his room. He had some things to think through.

* * *

Only when Katara slammed the door to her room shut did she begin to cry. Leaning against the door heavily, she closed her eyes and tears brimmed over the edge of her eyelids.

"You must think I'm so stupid," she whispered to Toph who was sitting beneath the window and basking in the sun.

"Don't take it personally; I think everyone's stupid," Toph joked, standing up and walking softly over to Katara. She wasn't sure how to comfort the girl without sounding condescending. "But you've got nothing on Sokka."

Katara laughed bitterly. "Sokka looks like the genius of the family compared to me. I knew what Zuko was like…I knew and yet I still let myself get close to him!"

"You had faith," Toph shrugged. "That isn't always a bad thing."

"Then why do I always get hurt?" Katara murmured, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Toph sighed, unable to answer that question. She patted Katara's arm awkwardly and stood helplessly as the Waterbender cried out her sorrow. Toph caught the odd curse escaping Katara's lips, mainly about Zuko and his parentage.

"You know, I could always smuggle you out of the Fire Nation," Toph suggested half-heartedly.

"I don't think that'd go down very well with Iroh," Katara replied with a small laugh. She dried her eyes on the back of her sleeve. "Or Zuko, considering I'm marrying him."

Toph bit her lip. "I don't even want to mention it, but if Iroh dies…well, there'd be no one to enforce the agreement would there?"

Katara stared at Toph. "I don't know," she admitted. "I'm not sure how Fire Nation politics work."

"Sometimes the treaties between countries die out with the rulers who made them, if the idea is unpopular," Toph said. "If that's how the Fire Nation roll then you could come home."

"Could I?" Katara sighed, stepping away from the door and walking slowly towards the window. She looked out at the world sadly. "If the treaty ends then there's nothing stopping the Fire Nation from attacking the Water Tribe anymore. We're only just rebuilding ourselves after the last war; we really can't afford another one."

"I don't think that Zuko would order attacks on the Water Tribe. Are you sure that he wouldn't carry on the treaty just so he could marry you?"

"Are you kidding?" Katara asked harshly, rolling her narrowed eyes without turning away from the window. "He'll probably finish Iroh off himself so he can go back to Mai. Whore," she added under her breath.

"I think you should ask someone about the treaty," Toph said, moving away slightly from the topic of Zuko's infidelity. "The Fire Nation have some sort of council, right?"

"Yeah, imaginatively named 'The Council' believe it or not," Katara answered. "But I don't think they'd appreciate me talking about the death of their Fire Lord."

"You should ask soon," Toph shrugged. "The Day of Black Sun anniversary is in a week and I have to leave tomorrow."

"What? You can't!" Katara screeched. "Toph, please don't leave me alone here!"

"I have to," Toph sighed. "The Earth Kingdom use it as a memorial day. Thousands of people turn up to Ba Sing Se in respect. At least, that's what they did for the past couple of years. It didn't go down well with the Fire Nation soldiers but they were always conveniently distracted." Toph smiled wickedly, and Katara briefly wondered what Toph had done to ensure this distraction. "Anyway, I'm expected to be there and I kind of like making sure that people don't forget what we did."

Katara smiled sadly and turned her back on the window. "Okay. I don't want you to go but I guess it's best that you do."

A knock on the door interrupted Katara's next sentence. Her eyes flew to the door and she tensed. "If this is-"

"It isn't," Toph cut her off, shaking her head. "It isn't either of them."

"Then I guess you better come in!" Katara called, frowning. There really wasn't many people who would come calling in on her. Unless it was Li and Lo. She shuddered at the thought, although the Fire Lord collapsing and her future husband cheating on her was a good enough reason to miss lessons for the day.

The door opened and Ty Lee appeared, smiling nervously. She was clad in her usual pinkness. Toph narrowed her unseeing eyes suspiciously at the newcomer.

"Do we like her?" she asked, turning to Katara.

"Yes," Katara replied, laughing quietly.

"Then hello," Toph grinned.

"Hi," Ty Lee beamed back. Her smile faltered as she met Katara's eyes. "I heard about you and Zuko."

"Don't you mean Zuko and Mai?" Katara asked, ice in her voice.

"Uh, I guess," Ty Lee shrugged uncomfortably. She sighed nervously. "Mai is my best friend and she's all I've got left now that Azula's gone and the circus disbanded. That's why I'm begging you not to tell her what I'm about to tell you."

Katara eyed Ty Lee with interest, her attention caught. Toph frowned.

"Try and make your heart stop going so fast, that way I can tell if you're lying or not," she instructed the anxious acrobat.

Ty Lee closed her eyes and took several deep, calming breaths. She reopened them after a few moments. "Better?" she asked perkily, all of her nerves seemingly gone.

"Yep," Toph nodded. "Now tell us."

"What you saw wasn't Zuko."

"It was a pretty good impersonator then," Katara quipped.

"No," Ty Lee laughed. "I meant that he didn't have anything to do with it. Mai's been trying to get back together with him ever since we got here. She thought she sensed some tension the other night and decided to make her final move today. I don't know what you saw, but Zuko didn't instigate it an I'm betting that he didn't respond the way Mai hoped."

"He was shirtless and she had her arms around his waist," Katara supplied helpfully through gritted teeth. "He had his hands on her shoulders."

Ty Lee pouted. "He had been training this morning, perhaps he'd just finished having a wash when Mai came in?"

"It's possible," Katara shrugged. Her heart leapt irrationally as she wondered if Ty Lee could explain the situation in a way that didn't make Katara's feelings wrong. "But then why did he have his hands on her shoulders?"

Ty Lee bounded across the room quickly and came to a dead stop just in front of Katara, who jerked back in surprise. Ty Lee paused for a moment and cocked her head to the side, obviously thinking. She raised her hands and put them on Katara's shoulders, mirroring Zuko's earlier position.

"Was it like this?" Ty Lee asked. Katara nodded, slightly unnerved by Ty Lee's closeness. Ty Lee laughed. "That's not exactly lustful is it? It's a defensive position. If I moved my hands even slightly forward with enough force then you'd fall backwards and away from me. I'm guessing that Zuko's shoulders were back?"

"Yeah," Katara nodded, a sense of relief washing through her. She tried to banish it in case it proved to be false.

"Then he was trying to distance himself from Mai," Ty Lee said, demonstrating herself. When she was finished, she released Katara and stood back.

"Not that this proves anything, but Zuko did say that it wasn't what it looked like," Katara shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's because it wasn't," Ty Lee smiled. "I want Mai to be as happy as it's possible for her to be, but she doesn't belong with Zuko. You do. He loves you, Katara and I've never seen him this happy."

Katara looked at Toph quickly, her eyes lighting up with hope.

"She's telling the truth," Toph sighed. "Which is a shame, because I really wanted to kick Zuko's ass."

"I would say that you could kick Mai's, but I'm saving that pleasure for myself," Katara said evilly, light and hope bursting into her life again.

"No!" Ty Lee screeched, her eyes wide. "You can't do that!"

"Fine," Katara grumbled. "I'll just hit her a couple of times."

"Just please don't tell her that I've told you," Ty Lee begged.

"I won't," Katara smiled. "You have my word."

"Mine too," Toph added.

"Thanks," Ty Lee grinned, leaping forward and enveloping Katara in a hug. Katara patted her on the back awkwardly. Ty Lee turned to Toph.

"Hug me and die," Toph warned. Ty Lee hung back with a sad expression. Toph, being blind, was immune. "You should probably go and find the answer to what we were talking about before, Sugar Queen. Even if you have made it up with Princey, it's better to know just in case."

"Will do," Katara nodded, unable to stop smiling. While she was inclined to believe the worst when it came to Zuko, Ty Lee's analysis made sense and, taking what Zuko said into account, Katara now trusted in his innocence. "See you in a bit."

"Bye!" Ty Lee waved happily. Katara left and she turned to the blind Earthbender. "So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"Sit still and be quiet?" Toph suggested dryly, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stand an entire afternoon with the perky young woman.

"That's boring," Ty Lee pouted. "Let's play something else."

"I wasn't aware that sitting still and being quiet was a game, but okay," Toph smirked. "Why don't we play hide and seek? You hide and I'll find you."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but don't you think that being blind will make it difficult for you to find me?" Ty Lee asked, frowning.

"Nope," Toph lied. "I'll find you quicker than you'd expect. Now go hide! I'll give you one minute before I'll start to look. One, two, three, four, five…"

Ty Lee scrambled out of the room, shutting the door loudly. Once she had gone, Toph stopped counting and chuckled to herself. She walked over to Katara's bed and lay on it, deciding to have a short rest to wile away the afternoon. She wondered how long it would take Ty Lee to realize that Toph had no intention of going finding her.

* * *

It was with a lighter heart that Katara made her way down the corridors. If Zuko was not in his uncle's room then she would try his room. Either way, she wanted to let him know that she believed him. Besides, with Iroh so ill, Zuko needed someone to comfort him. Someone to talk to. Someone to hold.

"Is Prince Zuko in there?" Katara asked the guards as she reached Iroh's room. The guards nodded solemnly. Frowning at their expressions, Katara pushed the door open. "Zuko?"

Zuko, who was standing beside his uncle's bed, glanced behind his shoulder to see Katara standing there. His smiled briefly before turning back to his uncle. With a terrible sinking feeling, Katara began walking towards him. The healer stood on the other side of Iroh's bed, looking grave. Her heart pounding like mad, Katara came to a stop next to Zuko and took his hand silently. Zuko squeezed it back, without questioning what she was doing there.

"You've got good timing," he murmured. "The healer was about to tell me about my uncle's condition."

"Fire Lord Iroh has been showing symptoms not typical of a common illness," the healer began, taking Zuko's words as an introduction. "He responds to medication but only for a short time. In fact, I've only seen one person with these symptoms before in my entire career." The healer bit her lip and looked at the Prince. "Your father."

Zuko's grip became tighter. "My uncle has the same illness that my father had?"

"Most likely," the healer nodded sombrely.

"So what does that mean?" Katara asked in a fearful whisper.

"It means that, unless a cure is found within the next few days, the Fire Lord will die."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Cue the dramatic music!**

**The idea for this song title chapter is dedicated to alana124pyro who reminded me of what a great movie Cruel Intentions is! (:**

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, you rock more than a rocking chair (that was so bad XD) and I really appreciate you all!**

**Happy Easter!**

**Have a great week everyone,**

**- Momo**


	17. For The Heart I Once Had

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Heart of a child, one final sigh as another love goes cold. Living today without a way to understand the weight of the world. For the heart I'll never have, for the child forever gone. Time will not heal a Dead Boy's scars. Time will kill._

- For The Heart I Once Had_ by _Nightwish

* * *

"Zuko, calm down," Katara begged, her eyes following the jets of harsh fire shooting from Zuko's clenched fist as they slammed into the wall of his bedroom. Just like the many times before, the impact made Katara shrink back.

"Calm down? It's like watching my father all over again, only this time it's someone I care about!" Zuko raged, hurling another fiery blast into the scorched wall. "I saw my father suffer from this illness and I prayed that he would be in as much pain as was physically possible. Guess that's come back to bite me on the ass, huh?"

"We'll find a cure," Katara assured, but they both knew that her words were empty.

"No we won't," Zuko spat. "This time is no different than before."

"This time you've got me," Katara disagreed softly. "And I don't know if you've noticed, but I can be pretty driven when I want to be."

"You can't heal him, can you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then you're not helpful. This whole thing only started after you got here, how do I know that you're not the one doing this to him?" Zuko hissed, turning to face her with narrowed eyes.

"Zuko, how could you even _think _that I would-?"

"I don't," Zuko interrupted, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. It's just…argh!" he cut off with a feral roar and continued pounding flames into the wall. "I…hate…being…so…helpless!" Every word was punctuated with the collision of fire on wall.

"I know," Katara nodded. "But we'll find something that will help him. Even if I have to specially import Spirit Oasis water."

"He'll be dead by the time it gets here," Zuko said bitterly. "We need something done now."

"If I could get some water blessed by the Fire Sages, maybe that would work?" Katara suggested doubtfully. "It wouldn't be as powerful as the Spirit Oasis water, but it's worth a shot if we've got nothing else."

"I'll get the servants on it," Zuko nodded, breathing heavily as he rested his smoking fists. He glanced over to the equally smoking wall and frowned. "And I should probably get someone to fix that as well."

Katara remained silent, unsure of what to say. After the healer had told them of Iroh's fate, Zuko had stormed out. Katara had gone after him to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid. She had tried to console him but now anything she said would just be repeating herself. She was trying to convince herself just as much as Zuko that Iroh wouldn't die.

"I should schedule a Council meeting," Zuko mused aloud. "See if they have any ideas about how we can make Uncle better."

"I hate to say this, but if they didn't have any ideas about Ozai then why would it be any different about Iroh?" Katara asked reluctantly, stepping back in case Zuko had another stress attack.

Instead, Zuko smiled grimly. "Because they actually want my uncle to live."

"That's a pretty good reason," Katara shrugged. She smiled and approached Zuko, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "We'll think of something."

"I don't see how," Zuko sighed. "The illness seems internal, and he can't exactly just spit it out, can he?"

Katara's eyes widened. "No, but maybe if he's sick enough times then it might go out of his system!"

"I really don't think that's how these things work," Zuko frowned.

"We'll try it once," Katara said, ignoring him. "Mix some salt with water and then make him drink it. If nothing changes in the next few hours then we'll try something else. We can at least give it a shot."

"Might as well mix the salt with the water that we're getting blessed by the Fire Sages," Zuko suggested sarcastically. "Double our chances."

"That's the spirit," Katara grinned, ignoring the sarcasm.

It appeared that treating Iroh's illness as a task or an interesting game they would have to solve made it much easier to deal with, as Zuko calmed down soon after Katara had finished making suggestions. The pair stood in silence for a few minutes afterwards and let the seriousness of the heavy situation sink in.

The next day Toph departed from the Fire Nation. Katara reluctantly helped her friend to gather her possessions, stalling for as much time as she possibly could.

"I don't want you to go," she pouted as she watched the servants take away the last of Toph's things from Katara's bedroom.

"I'm not hot about leaving you here alone with the Fire Nation crew either," Toph frowned. "In fact, if it weren't for the Day of Black Sun then I wouldn't be leaving at all."

"If it weren't for the Day of Black Sun then I wouldn't be here at all," Katara sighed. "But everything happens for a reason."

"Yeah…you notice how people only say that about bad things?"

Katara laughed but didn't answer. Toph had started to move towards the door so Katara quickly caught up with her young friend and enveloped her in a hug. To her surprise, Toph hugged her back. After a short while, the girls let each other go.

"What happened to 'hug me and die'?" Katara asked, laughing although tears had started to blur her vision.

"That was just for Ty Lee," Toph shrugged. "I didn't want to get happy germs on me."

"As opposed to Katara germs?"

"As opposed to crazy germs," Toph grinned. "You know, I could always sneak you onto Appa. It'd take them awhile to notice that you're gone, especially with Iroh being ill."

"I can't," Katara sighed. "I need to make sure the Water Tribe's safety is secure. Besides, I can't leave Zuko while his uncle might die."

"Nice to know that you still put the Water Tribe before Princey," Toph smiled, although there was an edge to her voice.

"That will never change," Katara promised. She hesitated. "I'd appreciate, the next time you see Sokka, that you don't tell him about me and Zuko. Actually, that goes for anyone."

"Ashamed?"

"I just don't want them to think that I've betrayed them…or Aang," Katara answered softly. "Plus Sokka would kill me."

"Yeah, he probably would," Toph agreed. "So I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Thanks," Katara smiled, that particular weight lifted off her shoulders.

"Although they'll figure it out eventually," Toph pointed out. She pulled open the door and began walking down the corridor. Katara hurriedly followed. "They're coming to your wedding, right?"

"Yes. Although Zuko's being annoyingly sketchy about the details. And now that Iroh's ill, the wedding might have to be moved forward or postponed."

"Are you okay with that?" Toph asked carefully.

"Well, I still don't want to get married, if that's what you mean," Katara replied doubtfully. "I'd rather wait."

"For someone better?"

"Until I was ready," Katara corrected. "I want to get married on my own terms, not when someone else dictates it."

"Unlucky," Toph shrugged.

Katara hit her friend lightly on the arm. "Hey, shut up. Last time I checked, the Bei Fong's were one of the wealthiest families in the world. What makes you think that your parents aren't going to make you get married to a stranger with money?"

"I'd like to see them try," Toph scoffed. "Now that they know how powerful I am at Earthbending, they barely order me about at all."

"Not to blow my own Sungi horn, but I'm not bad at Waterbending and yet I still got forced into marriage," Katara pointed out with mild amusement.

"That's because you try too hard to please everyone," Toph shrugged. "One of my better qualities is that I don't do that."

"You have good qualities?" Katara asked in mock-surprise.

Toph stamped on the tile floor, creating a small mound of earth which Katara tripped over.

"I have balance," Toph laughed.

Katara stood up and laughed too. "If there was any water here right about now, you'd be gargling your words."

"You have water in your water skin," Toph reminded.

"Like I'm going to waste that on you," Katara teased. "Mai's probably going to pull some more stunts and I'll need all the ammo that I can get."

At this point the girls had reached the double doors that led to the outside world. Katara hesitated. Toph noticed her friend and also stopped walking.

"It'll be alright," Toph assured. "You'll see me again before you know it."

"I know," Katara nodded, but her eyes had filled up again. Her voice became choked. "I just don't want to be alone in the Fire Nation again."

"You're not alone," Toph smiled. "As much as I hate to admit it, you've got Zuko. And even if the marriage wasn't legally, spiritually and emotionally binding then I'd still say that you've got a keeper there."

"I guess," Katara sniffed, wiping her eyes gently.

"So come on, let's go see Appa and Momo. You've visited them, what, about twice in the whole time that I've been here? They won't be very impressed," Toph warned.

Katara smiled through her tears. "I'm sure they'll forgive me."

She pushed open the doors and sunlight streamed into the darkened hall. With a heavy sigh, Katara stepped outside and let the warmth embrace her.

"Ah," Toph sighed in satisfaction. "The one thing I'll miss about this place is the heat. When you're not in full body armor and fighting for your life, it's pretty nice."

"You'll miss me too, right?" Katara checked with a small smile.

"I'll miss you too, insecurities and all," Toph replied, gingerly walking forwards one step at a time. "Now come on, if we're lucky we can still get about an hour without any Fire Nation interruptions."

"It never worked in the past," Katara shrugged.

"Yeah but this time we're not trying to kill any of them," Toph grinned.

"Speaking of…how's Iroh doing? Did you say goodbye to him?" Katara asked, guilty that she would associate murder with Iroh's illness.

"Yeah, for the good it did. He was barely conscious. But I really think that the salt water thing did him good. Seems like it flushed out his system a little."

"I just hope that it's enough," Katara sighed. "I've travelled _a lot _and I've never seen those symptoms before."

"Don't worry about it," Toph dismissed, more worried than she was willing to let on. "Men like Iroh don't die because of some little infection."

"Yeah," Katara agreed, although she was thoroughly unconvinced. "So what're your plans for after the Day of Black Sun memorial?"

"I was thinking about going to the Southern Water Tribe," Toph answered casually. "Sokka's desperate for news about how you're doing. He feels awful for agreeing for you to go here in the first place."

"I can kind of understand what he was thinking at the time," Katara admitted. "At least the Water Tribe's safe."

Toph nodded but remained silent as she and Katara walked off the main path and down a small side road which led to the stables. Thick, luscious trees lined the road, throwing the stone beneath them into a shady green light.

"If I'm guessing right, then the palace grounds really are beautiful," Toph murmured, reluctant to break the silence.

"They are," Katara nodded in equally hushed tones. "There's a small space below the balcony to my room where I go sometimes to escape. That's serene like this."

"You shouldn't have to escape," Toph frowned sadly. "You should be happy here."

"I am," Katara answered. Then, remembering that Toph could tell she was lying, "Some of the time."

Toph sighed. "You should make whatever changes you need to to be happy. Aang wouldn't have wanted you to feel like this."

Katara ignored the instinctive dull ache at the mention of Aang's name. "Aang fought to save the world. I'm fighting too, but in a passive way. My marriage makes sure that people across the world aren't living in fear of war. It's not that much of a sacrifice, not anymore. Zuko isn't a bad person at heart, he's just a little slow when it comes to making life-changing decisions."

"Yeah," Toph laughed bitterly. "You can say that again."

The path came to a stop as it reached the large stone stables, filled with the grunts and whinnies of various animals. An entire stable had to be evacuated just for Appa's brief stay and as a result the other animals were a little more agitated than usual.

"Hey Appa!" Katara cooed as she opened the stable door and stepped inside. The servants had done an excellent job in keeping the stable clean; Katara didn't have to watch where she was walking. Two windows allowed light into the otherwise dim building and Appa seemed happy enough with this arrangement. He groaned in greeting and lifted his head from where he had been resting it on his enormous paws. Katara found herself grinning as she quickly walked over to Appa and patted his head, memories flooding back as his smooth fur wove between her fingers.

"You ready for the journey back?" Toph asked the sky bison, clapping a hand on his head. Appa turned to glare at her for doing so, before closing his eyes and laying his head back down, enjoying Katara's attention. A familiar purr overhead made Katara look up in delight. Momo swooped down and landed on Appa's head. His eyes were wide and shining as he looked at Katara.

"Don't worry, I've not forgotten you," Katara smiled, scratching the lemur behind his ears. "How's my favorite lemur doing?" Momo chirruped contentedly and Appa growled. Katara laughed at the bison. "Well you're my favorite bison."

She lavished affection on her animal travelling companions for the next few minutes. Toph hung back sadly. After a few minutes Katara straightened up and turned to Toph.

"We should probably start leading Appa and Momo to the front gates," she said unhappily. "Don't want the servants to carry your things further than they have to."

"Okay," Toph agreed distantly.

"Are you alright?" Katara asked as Momo clawed the air furiously at some invisible specks of dust.

"I'm fine," Toph answered with a nod. "Listen, Sugar Queen, I was thinking…what if I left Momo here?"

"Well then he'd be alone in the stable," Katara frowned absently as she watched Momo in his quest to destroy the dust.

"No," Toph sighed, rolling her blind eyes. "I meant what if I left him here with you?"

Katara looked up, a small smile creeping onto her face. Toph misinterpreted her silence.

"You don't have to take him, it isn't like I can't look after him. It's just that you said you didn't want to be alone and since I can't stay I figure that-"

"Toph, I'd love to take him," Katara cut across gently. "But what about Appa?"

"I kind of need him to get home," Toph replied sarcastically. "Although I'm expecting wings any day now to make up for the blindness so I won't be having this problem in the future."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit," Katara told Toph, childishly sticking her tongue out.

"You don't actually believe that, do you?"

"Take Sokka as an example."

"Point taken."

"Exactly," Katara laughed. "But I meant won't Appa and Momo be sad at being separated?"

Toph was silent for a moment. "You know that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, right?"

"Shut up," Katara laughed. "I'm just worried about them. Separation isn't the easiest thing to go through."

"I know," Toph agreed. "But don't worry. It'll give me an excuse to come back and see you."

"You don't need an excuse," Katara smiled.

"Whatever," Toph shrugged, obviously hiding what she was thinking. "We should go."

Over the course of the next few minutes, Katara tried her best to hide the crippling sadness that tore through her chest. She didn't want to be left alone again, even with Momo to keep her company. Far from making her happier, Toph's visit had only reminded Katara of what she had left behind. Katara hung back as she watched the servants pile all of Toph's possessions onto the bison's saddle. She murmured the occasional reassurance to Momo when he chattered nervously but otherwise remained silent.

Zuko, Ty Lee and Mai arrived shortly before Toph was due to leave. Zuko and Mai didn't look very happy to be there but Ty Lee was her usual bubbly self…despite spending three hours in a closet waiting for Toph to find her the previous day.

"Wow, I get goodbye party and everything," Toph remarked, mock-impressed. "You guys sure know how to treat your guests."

"Trust me, I'm not here willingly," Mai assured the girl icily. Zuko shot the young woman a disapproving look which she ignored. "As much as I _loved_ having you around, I'm really not going to miss you that much."

Toph scowled and started forward, but Katara held her back. She had the perfect leaving gift for the Earthbender.

"Mai?" Katara asked, her voice bright. The gloomy girl flicked her eyes towards Katara. Taking that she had her attention, Katara walked towards her. "I'm afraid that I really don't like the way you just talked to my friend."

Mai's eyes actually widened in surprise; she hadn't been expecting Katara's tone to be so sugary. Ty Lee was smiling, albeit in slight confusion, at Katara, glad that the two girls were getting along. Zuko was immediately suspicious but Toph had started to grin. She knew what was coming.

"I just don't really feel like you've made that much of an effort to be nice to Toph, or me for that matter," Katara shrugged, smiling. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Quicker than anyone could've reacted, Katara slammed her clenched fist into Mai's face. Mai fell to the floor, clutching her cheek. Katara stared coldly down, all pretence now gone. "Zuko doesn't want you, so stop throwing yourself at him. He chose _me_."

Toph clapped ecstatically as Katara finished her miniature speech. Ty Lee helped the humiliated Mai off the floor, holding her back carefully in case she decided to leap at Katara in revenge. Mai's glares were as sharp as the daggers she favored but Katara stared icily back. She had no pity for Mai.

"You can't say you didn't deserve that, Gloomy," Toph called gleefully.

Mai turned her useless glares to Toph, before snarling and stalking off.

"Did you have to hit her that hard?" Ty Lee cried to Katara.

"Yeah," Katara nodded simply. "I did."

Ty Lee sighed and ran after her friend, her frenzied footsteps hitting the ground with such force that dust rose off the stone.

"You should've done that before," Toph commented. "That way I could've stuck around to see how she'd react in a couple of days or so."

"You shouldn't have done it at all," Zuko said, but he was smiling.

"Are you kidding?" Katara asked Toph, ignoring Zuko. "You're getting off easy. I'm the one who's going to have to live with her for the next couple of weeks."

Momo, who had flown off screeching when Katara had punched Mai, came crawling cautiously back, chattering away to Appa. The giant bison, resting contentedly on the ground, opened one eye lazily before groaning and shutting it again. The outraged Momo began poking Appa to get his attention. Katara laughed and Zuko looked amused. Katara bent down and scooped Momo up, cradling him in her arms like a baby. She quickly realized what this must look like to Zuko and hurriedly held the lemur in a different way.

"Momo's staying here now," she informed him.

"What? When was I consulted on this?"

"You weren't," Toph replied. "Sugar Queen, give me a boost up. I don't think Appa's in a helpful mood."

Katara obliged, handing Momo to a bemused Zuko. He held the lemur as though he were a bomb that could be activated at any moment. Katara helped her friend to get comfortably onto the bison's saddle.

"Shouldn't your servants be doing this?" Katara grumbled.

"Oh yeah…what happened to them?" Toph wondered, not sounding too bothered.

"If they're anything like the servants I had to accompany me to the Fire Nation then they're spending their time getting drunk and discussing all the women they've 'had' back home," Katara shrugged.

"It'd be interesting if they were, seeing as both my servants are women," Toph laughed. "Princey, go see if you can find them."

"I'm the future Fire Lord, I'm not running errands for you," Zuko answered incredulously. "I'll get some of _my_ servants on it. They wouldn't be so disobedient as to abandon me."

"Are you saying your servants are better than my servants?" Toph asked with a mock gasp.

"I'd bring my servants into this but, well, I haven't seen any of them in about two weeks," Katara shrugged.

"They run off on you?" Toph asked.

"Not exactly," Katara replied, smiling dangerously at Zuko.

"I'm going, I'm going," Zuko said, rolling his eyes.

After a further half hour delay, Toph was finally ready to leave.

"I'm really going to miss you," Katara whispered, tears filling up her eyes again. She stood beside Appa and squinted up against the harsh sunlight to get the last few glimpses of her friend.

"Are you going to start crying again?" Toph sounded unimpressed. "Because I'm going to leave right now if you are."

"I'm not," Katara lied.

"Right. Just remember that we'll see each other soon." Toph paused and frowned. "Whatever, you know what I mean by 'see'."

"I do," Katara smiled. "Have a safe journey back. Give me love to everyone in the South Pole. Remember what I asked you."

"Yep," Toph nodded. "Try not to kill Zuko while I'm gone. At least wait until Sokka and I get here."

"Thanks," Zuko muttered.

"On the Day of Black Sun anniversary…make us all proud," Katara instructed.

Toph nodded solemnly. "I will. Twinkletoes wouldn't have wanted a lot of attention, but screw it, I'll do it anyway."

Katara smiled. "Have a happy anniversary," she sighed ironically.

"You too," Toph answered. "Keep safe." She patted the bison on his head and he stood up. "C'mon Fuzzball, yip yip."

Katara and Zuko stood back carefully as Appa groaned and took flight. Dust flew up from the ground as the giant bison lifted his tail and beat it up and down to assist the flight. Zuko and Katara shielded their faces against the dust, shutting their eyes tightly. When the whirlwind of sand had stopped and the teenagers on the ground reopened their eyes, the bison and its passengers were too far away for them to hear all the things that had suddenly popped into Katara's mind that she wanted to shout to them. All the things she wanted to tell Toph, all the things she wanted Sokka and her family to know.

"You okay?" Zuko murmured, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Katara leant her head against his hand and sighed. "I'll be okay." Momo sat in the space that Appa had just been sitting in, looking confused and reaching his paws up towards the sky. "I think Momo's more upset than I am right now."

"It's a lemur, I'm sure it'll get over it," Zuko said slowly, as though concerned for Katara's mental health.

Katara lifted her head and walked over to Momo. It was comments like this that reminded her that Zuko would never understand some parts of her life and personality. Nevertheless, she crouched beside Momo and waited for him to turn to her before quietly telling the lemur about his new living arrangements. By the time she had finished, Zuko was staring at her.

"What?" she asked self-consciously. She straightened up, Momo firmly in place on her shoulder, and turned to him.

"You're very odd," he said.

"You know you love me for it," Katara pouted teasingly, walking up to him. Zuko smiled at her words but said nothing. With Katara suddenly feeling awkward, they both made their way back to the palace.

"Is your uncle any better?" Katara asked after five minutes of silence.

"You tell me, you probably see him more than I do," Zuko sighed. "The Council seem to feel the need for a meeting every other hour."

"Unlucky," Katara sympathised. "Well I can tell you that Iroh seems to be responding to the salt water idea."

"Responding in the way that he's being sick a lot?" Zuko asked sceptically.

"Well, yeah," Katara admitted. "But after the whole vomiting thing he gets some color back in his cheeks."

"Great, so we just need to force my uncle to be sick for the rest of his life and he'll be okay?"

"Look, now that Toph's gone I can fully concentrate on getting your uncle better," Katara sighed, getting irritated with Zuko's lack of enthusiasm. "I'm trying my best here."

"I know you are. It's just frustrating that we can't do anything more."

"Yeah." Katara smiled suddenly and turned to Momo. "I'll bet you have some great ideas, don't you Momo?"

"Stop that," Zuko scowled. "It's freaky."

"The nasty man thinks you're freaky, Momo!" Katara gasped, trying to stop herself from laughing. "We don't like that, do we?"

"You're talking to a lemur!" Zuko said, also trying not to laugh. "What part of that is normal?"

"Normality is just a point of view," Katara answered, sticking her tongue out. "I want to check on Iroh again and take my mind off Toph."

"You're really going to miss her," Zuko noted sadly. They had reached the entrance by this time and the guards bowed before opening the doors for the royal couple.

"Yes, but I'll see her again soon," Katara said bravely. "That's if you're not too scared of my family to invite them to our wedding."

"I'm sure I can handle them," Zuko said, but uncertainty tinged his confidence.

Katara laughed. "It was still sweet of you to invite Toph in the first place. There goes your Mr. Bad Guy façade."

"Façade?" Zuko repeated, raising his eyebrow teasingly. "Just because I do one tiny little thing doesn't mean that I'm suddenly repenting everything. I can still be bad."

Katara laughed again. "Why are you arguing my case? A month ago that was _my _argument."

"We're getting married; you have to learn to share."

"I'll try," Katara sighed, rolling her eyes. They passed a flight of fancy stairs. "This is my stop. I'll see you at dinner?"

"If not before," Zuko smiled, leaning down and kissing Katara on the cheek. He wrinkled his nose suddenly. "I don't have to kiss the lemur too, do I?"

"I don't think Momo is that way inclined," Katara whispered loudly. "Sorry to disappoint."

"As long as you'll still have me, I think I can get over the pain," Zuko smiled. "See you later."

Katara smiled to herself as she walked up the stairs and along the corridor to Iroh's room. Mom shifted uncomfortably on her shoulder and she turned to him. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Don't you like the palace? Okay, so it isn't exactly home but at least it's warm here. And guess what, pretty soon you can see everyone else again. They'll be here for when I get married to the guy who used to chase us everywhere. Remember him? He was the guy I was talking to just then. I know what you're thinking, why would I ever marry him? It started out that I had to marry him to protect the Water Tribe from war, but now I don't mind too much. Hope you approve. You'll see that he's a decent guy, you just need to give him a chance." Katara stopped talking and sighed. "Zuko was right…talking to a lemur is pretty weird." Momo chattered in protest and Katara smiled. She scratched him behind his ears. "Want to see if we can get leechee nuts in the Fire Nation?"

* * *

Days later on the eve of the Day of Black Sun anniversary, Katara was getting ready for bed. The past few days had been uneventful at best. That said, Iroh was still alive and so far beating the healer's fateful prediction. Katara knew that they'd have to find a more final solution to his illness though; the salt water vomit idea was quickly losing effect. In his rare bouts of consciousness, Iroh would refuse most food and drink, leading to him losing a worrying amount of weight. The sooner they found a definite cure for his mystery illness, the better. In other news, Mai hadn't been causing any more trouble between Zuko and Katara, although she was being a lot more unpleasant in general towards everyone else. Katara rolled her eyes as she pulled her nightdress over her head and drew back the covers to her bed. She got into bed and snuggled between the covers, yawning widely as she did. She was doing her best not to think of what the next day held; it would be her most difficult yet in the Fire Nation. She was so tired that she barely gave thought to how Toph and Sokka were doing the night before the anniversary of the day that changed all their lives.

* * *

Sokka shyly said goodnight to the latest young woman that had taken his interest and turned to go back to the large snow carved structure that he called home. He dragged his suddenly heavy feet through the thinning snow and sighed. Although he'd been trying to distract himself all day, there was now nothing to prevent him from thinking about the upcoming anniversary. Where had three years gone? Sokka knew that the first few months after Aang's death had been the hardest to get through. Katara wasn't safe to be around and wouldn't speak to anyone. Toph was a shadow of her former self whenever she came to visit. Sokka himself spent hours holed up in his room, going over all the invasion plans and wondering if there was anything that he could have done to prevent the tragedy. He thought of something different every single time. Soon however he realized that Katara needed him more than she had ever needed anyone so he put his grief on hold to deal with his little sister's. She had been getting slightly better when she had left for the Fire Nation but Sokka still worried that something would happen to tip her over the edge again. Part of him wanted Katara to leave so that she could come to terms with what happened to her best friend…and what better place than the palace in which he died? But Katara's letters had been filled with meaningless lies about how happy she was and how well she was fitting in. Ever since then, Sokka had been even more determined to fly straight to the Fire Nation and take his baby sister home. When he'd heard that Toph had gotten an invite to the palace from Zuko himself, Sokka couldn't stop the jealously and resentment bubbling up inside of him. Why wasn't that bastard prince sending invites to anyone else? It was ridiculous that, even after three years and a quarter of the world away, Zuko was still managing to find ways to piss Sokka off.

The Water Tribe warrior scowled at his thoughts as he changed for bed. He'd see Katara soon enough anyway. In an ironic twist she'd be marrying the man who caused her so much pain, something which Sokka couldn't get over. Anyone, _anyone _apart from Zuko. Sokka wouldn't have minded as much if it were Ozai. Hell, he wouldn't have minded as much if it were Azula. But after what had happened in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, Sokka hated Zuko even more than he originally had. Katara's anger as she told of what had happened was obvious, but Sokka also heard the hint of pain in her voice, saw the glint of betrayal in her damp sapphire eyes. That was when Sokka vowed that he'd never let Zuko hurt Katara again. Of course Sokka didn't bank on Aang dying and Katara having to marry Zuko to ensure the world wasn't caught up in another war. Sokka wasn't sure who had done what but something was definitely off with karma's sense of fairness.

Sokka got into bed and sighed again. He lay on his back for hours, staring up and the ceiling and wishing that things were different.

* * *

Toph rolled over in her bed uncomfortably, unable to sleep. Thought were whirring inside her mind, about what tomorrow would bring, about Katara and Zuko's new relationship and about how Sokka would react to it. She was also thinking about Aang and how much she missed him. She didn't just miss Aang, she missed what he represented and the travelling that she had done with her friends. Of course then he had died the first time and everything went wrong. Then he died the second and final time and her world fell apart. All of a sudden Toph was alone again. Katara was too lost in her grief to control her Waterbending and Sokka was either locking himself away or trying to comfort Katara. Toph knew that those were selfish thoughts but she couldn't help it. She just wanted things to be back to normal. She didn't want to be the one to talk about Aang the next day. She just wanted to be with Sokka and Katara and grieve in private.

Toph sighed loudly, once again wishing that things could have been different.

* * *

Katara opened her eyes blearily. It took awhile for her to realize why her stomach was sinking rapidly. It was three years ago today that Aang had died. It was the anniversary of the Day of Black Sun.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey, please don't flame me for taking longer than usual with this chapter. I've had a lot to sort out over the past two weeks and I'm still not exactly up to date with it.**

**I'm so sorry that I didn't get a chance to reply to all of your wonderful reviews. I'm grateful to all of my readers and reviewers, you guys really keep me going at times like this (: You've boosted me to 600 reviews and I'm really happy that you're all enjoying this fic :D**

**To my new readers and reviewers, welcome to the story guys! Just to let you know, I usually reply to all of the reviews I get but it's been a mad week and I'm not even supposed to be on the computer right now and I hope that you understand. So yeah, sorry about that!**

**I'm really looking forward to writing the next few chapters. Hope you all enjoyed this one (:**

**If any of you got a message saying that Chapter 17 was up a few days ago then blame my ridiculous lack of technical skills. I posted an Author's Note, decided it was a load of crap and then deleted it. The A/N was basically saying that I've fixed all the previous chapters and they now once again have page breakers.**

**By the way…I'm going seeing Nightwish in concert tomorrow night!! (squee in all its extremities!) Hence the song of the chapter. It's a pretty cheesy song but it's nice also (: It shows that Katara's still hurting about Aang's death, even though she's got Zuko.**

**Have a great week,**

**- Momo**

**(also, if you're still a little mad at me for taking awhile to update then search 'they're taking the hobbits to isengard' on YouTube. Click the first vid that comes up. I found it hilarious and couldn't stop laughing for ages XD)**


	18. Force Of The Shore

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

EDIT: CHECK OUT MY PROFILE NOW FOR NYCC TRAILERS!! (yeah, I had a fangirl attack XD)

**A/N:**

**Getting a little tired of the fight/make up/fight/make up pattern of this fic? Me too. Let's see what we can do to shake things up a little.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_Appearance is deceptive, so perfect in disguise. There's more than what you see. A façade is what we all possess, but on the inside it stays a mess. Superficial changes won't recall the past, don't deny the clock is ticking and it's racing fast!_

- Force Of The Shore _by _Epica

* * *

Katara lay in her bed, unmoving. She stared up at the ceiling with warm covers swathed all around her loosely. She was hot, too hot, but found that she had no desire to move. Three years today the light had been stolen from her life. It was odd how calmly she could think of that fact. She supposed it was because she wasn't as far gone anymore, that she had Zuko now. Trying to convince herself that this day was just another day, she made an attempt to sit up. But in the night she had somehow entangled herself in the bedcovers and they bound her to the bed as she tried to move. Scowling, Katara jerked her arm forward. The covers came loose a lot easier than she intended to and she lost her balance and toppled off the bed.

"Not a good start to the day," she grumbled, roughly shoving the covers off her and heaving herself upwards. "As if I needed an indication."

Strong sunlight was struggling against the curtains to enter the room. Resigned, Katara dragged herself over to the windows and weakly parted the curtains. She squinted against the harsh, accusing light and turned her back on it. Unrelenting, it burned into her back. Even with her bedclothes on, the heat was uncomfortable.

"I get it!" Katara snapped, turning around furiously and shouting at the sunlight. "It's going to be a bad day, I get it!"

She glared at the windows before sighing in defeat. As she blinked, a tear ran unchecked down her cheek.

_Great, _she thought bitterly as her eyes filled up. _A window made me cry._

She sank into the plush carpet and brought her knees up to her chest. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry during one of the many hours that she had lain awake the previous night, but now knew that a promise like that wasn't in her power to keep. She bowed her head and bitter tears swept over her silken-clad knees. Momo, who had curled up at the end of her bed, jumped down and sorrowfully accompanied his human friend. He sat next to her, staring through large, baleful eyes, and chirruped as though trying to cheer her up. Katara glanced up at him and laughed slightly, wiping the cascade of tear tracks from her tanned cheeks. She scratched the lemur behind his long ears and sighed.

"If you only knew what today was…you'd be just as sad as I am," she whispered. Momo closed his eyes in contentment and made a purring sound from deep inside his throat. Katara smiled sadly. "You wouldn't be purring either."

A knock on the door made Momo cower and growl and Katara jump. "Shh, it's alright," she soothed the lemur, although she had no idea what fresh hell waited behind the knock.

She heaved herself to her feet and quickly checked her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and her cheeks obviously marked, but she had no time to remove the traitorous stains. She just hoped that whoever was at the door wouldn't comment on her tears. Pulling open the door with slight apprehension, Katara saw that a familiar servant stood twitchily outside the door. At first, Katara couldn't place where she had seen the servant before, but guessed that she had seen him in the kitchens when she had first met Aika.

"Lady Katara, the servant said, bowing deeply.

"Good morning," Katara replied. Her voice was hoarse and barely audible so it was with some embarrassment that she cleared her throat and repeated the greeting.

"Prince Zuko will be unable to attend breakfast with you this morning," the servant announced.

Katara frowned; it didn't bother her that Zuko had gone back on his promise to have breakfast with her, but it irritated her that he would choose this particular day to do so. "And Prince Zuko can't tell me this because…?"

"Forgive me, my Lady, but he did not say," the servant answered, casting his eyes downward in a way that betrayed his lie.

"Uh huh," Katara said, thoroughly unconvinced. "You know, pretty soon I'll be your Fire Lady and it'll be treason to lie to me."

"I'm am only the messenger, Lady Katara," the servant murmured, bowing his head lowly and retreating.

"Where did Prince Zuko say he would be?" Katara called after him.

"He didn't," the servant replied. "Good day."

_Well, he was rude, _Katara scowled as she slammed the door shut. Momo began to chatter uncertainly. Katara placated him absently and threw open the doors to her wardrobe, scanning her clothes and trying to decide what she would wear for the day. The decision did not turn out to be an easy one. She couldn't wear something too casual, or that would give off the impression that she had forgotten - or, Gods forbid - didn't care that her best friend had been killed in this very palace three years ago today. Then again, if she wore something too dressy then it might look like she was treating the anniversary as an excuse to wear pretty things.

"You had to die on the day that I have nothing to wear," Katara muttered to Aang, wherever he was now resting. Her nose began to tingle and she knew she was about to start crying again. Reaching out and tearing a random outfit off, Katara snapped the wardrobe shut and turned towards her bed. She wanted nothing more than to sleep for the rest of the day and avoid the staggering heartache that she knew would occur at some point. Momo, having calmed down from the excitement of the rude servant, settled himself back down onto Katara's bed and closed his eyes. Katara glared at him, upset that he would be able to escape the day's hardship while she would have to live through every agonizing minute.

* * *

It took a further two hours for Katara to get ready. Well, it took her five minutes to get dressed and the remainder of the time to cry in private and then remove all traces. She eventually decided on something that looked like an interesting mix between her Water Tribe clothes and Fire Nation clothes when she had been travelling with her friends. She figured that it showed respect for both the Water Tribes and Fire Nation, her old life and her new. She patted the sleeping lemur on his head - to which he moaned lightly in his slumber - and exited her room, fully unprepared for the coming day but forcing herself to go through the motions; she would grieve more in the privacy of her room later that night.

Katara ambled along the corridors slowly, deciding to go and check on Iroh since Zuko had so abruptly cancelled on her. Her footsteps echoed along the hallways and once again the feeling of desperate isolation washed over her.

"…the wife isn't happy about it, of course, but what can I do?" a guard's voice asked wearily, floating from around the corner that Katara was about to turn. "Anyway, I should get going. Happy Avatar Day!"

"You too," replied his companion cheerfully, seemingly unperturbed by his fellow guard's domestic problems. "I'll see you when the shift ends."

He and his friend parted ways, the original guard turning the corner and immediately stopping in panic when he saw Katara. He bowed quickly and awkwardly, his eyes flying nervously to anywhere that wasn't Katara's eyes.

"Lady Katara, good morning," he greeted hesitantly.

"Good morning," Katara replied. The guard was a portly man, rarely trusted with anything actually important, Katara guessed. Still, he had caught her interest. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you…you said something about an Avatar day?"

"I-I, well, yes, I did," the guard stammered.

Katara's stomach knotted tightly. Either this was a pleasant surprise that Zuko planned in Aang's honor or some sick, impossibly cruel joke. Her face relayed this caution and confusion but the guard wasn't getting the message.

"And what is Avatar Day?" she asked slowly, unsure if she really wanted to know.

"Prince Zuko doesn't w-want you to know j-just yet," the guard replied, his sheer panic comical in any other circumstance. "He wanted to wait until just before the…the feast tonight. To surprise you."

Katara smiled to herself. This was further proof that Zuko could be sweet when he wanted to be. Not just with the feast idea, but with naming a day after Aang because, let's face it, Katara was with him. A warm feeling filled Katara's stomach and the coming day suddenly became a little more bearable.

"Thank you for telling me that," Katara smiled absently. "Have a pleasant day."

"The same to you, my Lady," the guard said hurriedly, bowing hastily again and then retreating.

Katara carried on smiling as she walked the halls, not quite being able to believe that Zuko would do something like this for her. He'd probably gotten a lot of complaints about it but had gone ahead anyway. It was times like this that Katara didn't completely mind marrying the Fire Prince.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even see the young woman coming out of a room who she then collided with.

"I'm so sorr…oh. Mai." Katara eyed her would be rival up and down disparagingly. She had no time for someone who actively tried to ruin her love life. The two girls were silent for awhile, each staring the other down. Katara wondered how Mai felt about Zuko naming a day after his greatest enemy just to make Katara happy. Well, why not find out? "Happy Avatar Day."

Mai's eyes widened and a look of deep confusion passed over her face. Then her dark eyebrows furrowed together and she stared at Katara again with incomprehension. "Do you know what 'Avatar Day' is?" Her voice was that of genuine perplexity and so far away from her usual sneering, mocking tone that Katara's stomach dropped rapidly.

Mai sighed sadly as Katara's eyes widened in horror and reluctant comprehension. She began to explain to the Water Tribe girl just what Avatar Day was all about. Throughout Mai's words, Katara's eyes filled with tears of grief, anger and repulsion that Zuko would make such a day for the Avatar.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this," Mai added after she had finished. Her face was shining with conviction and Katara knew that she was telling the truth. "Even I'm not that twisted."

"Where is he?" she asked. Her voice came out as a growl filled with pain and blinding rage. Cautiously sensing that Katara was not to be trifled with on a matter like this, Mai told her what she wanted to know, trying not to think of the consequences.

* * *

"I seriously think that we should consider moving the marriage forward," one elderly Council member said, his quavering voice carrying across the war room that was now used for any meetings since there was no war to be fought.

"But the Fire Lord is still alive," objected another, equally withered, Council member. "We cannot ask him to renounce his throne simply because there is a chance that he may die."

"But that chance is large," frowned the first Council member who had spoken. "And surely the Fire Lord would wish to be alive to see his nephew happily married?"

The Council broke out into little squabbles as Zuko rolled his eyes and sighed from his place on the throne at the head of the table. He may have been interested if this problem had not been brought up at every single meeting they had had in the past two weeks. The old men would make the same points over and over again and then argue over who was right. It wasn't very professional but it had been mildly entertaining to begin with. With Iroh drastically ill, Zuko was now considered head of state and half of the Council wanted to make that decision official with his marriage.

Raised voices suddenly made everyone in the war room stop talking and swivel their heads towards the door. Zuko looked up in interest.

"I am sorry, Lady Katara, but you are forbidden from entering the war room!" a guard shouted, trying to be respectful and firm at the same time. His voice carried easily through the door. A splash and a heavy thud was his answer.

"Oh no," Zuko muttered, realizing that he was in trouble.

The thick doors slammed open, dripping with water where they had been met with a cascade of forceful water. The old men at the table all jumped up in alarm, forming defensive positions but Zuko remained seating and waited for the tirade that he knew was coming. From his seat on the raised platform which the throne rested upon, he had the vantage point to see Katara storming in, her eyes wild with fury and almost unrecognisable. The row of large azure vases filled with water on either side of the room that Iroh had just _insisted _be placed everywhere exploded outwards viciously as Katara passed them.

"You've got to be kidding me with this, Zuko!" she shouted with a snarl.

"Something wrong?" Zuko asked casually as he stood up. He quickly mentally slapped his forehead. What was he doing, trying to be casual when he knew full well what Katara was like when she was angry? Gods, he was an idiot.

"You made Aang's death a national holiday!" Katara screamed, her voice startling some of the less-deaf Council members into shrinking back. She threw her arms forward and the hovering liquid behind her surged forward menacingly towards Zuko. The Council members jumped into action and formed a protective barrier of flames before their Prince. The hurtling water crashed into the barrier and Zuko flinched away at its sizzling impact. Hate blazing in her eyes, Katara summoned the water back and thrust it back into the barrier only for it to have the same effect. Breathing heavily, Katara recalled the water and let it coil around her wrists, waiting for another opportunity to attack.

"Katara, now really isn't the best time," Zuko said, although there probably wasn't going to be a better time in the near future. The barrier of fire dropped hesitantly but flew back up at the Prince's next words. "Go wait outside and I'll talk to you later."

_That came out a lot more patronizing than it sounded in my head, _Zuko decided as Katara's expression became even more livid. Strands of her mahogany hair were falling into her face but she made no attempt to brush them away.

"How dare you," she spat, the water around her wrists only just being restrained. "We will talk about this _now_."

The Council members all looked away uncomfortably and lowered the barrier again as Zuko tried to look to them for help. Taro, the only Council member who treated Zuko as a person rather than a Prince, met his eyes and nodded slightly. Zuko sighed.

"Forgive me, gentlemen," he murmured as he stepped down from the throne and crossed the room. As he passed Katara, he subtly tried to take her hand but she snatched it away angrily without looking at him. She stalked on ahead and out the open door without another glance back. Making sure she had left, Zuko turned to the Council disparagingly.

"Thanks for the help there. Really. It was great."

Well aware that sarcasm wasn't befitting of the future Fire Lord, Zuko turned and left to meet his fate.

The argument that followed wasn't pretty.

"You just can't resist messing everything up, can you?" Katara hissed as furious tears filled her eyes.

"This isn't my fault!" Zuko countered. "My father created the holiday and I haven't had the time to change it."

"How long do you need?" Katara asked incredulously. "You've already had three years!"

"For most of which I couldn't actually do anything!"

Katara narrowed her eyes and looked away. "And to think that I actually thought you regretted what happened on the Day of Black Sun and-"

"And what?" Zuko cut across, turning to glare at her. "And thought that I'd create a holiday celebrating the life of the Avatar when his death brought the Fire Nation so much glory?"

"Well, the name's a little misleading don't you think?" Katara snarled. "Why didn't you call it 'Best Day In The History Of The Fire Nation Ever' Day or 'Yay, We Killed The Avatar!' Day?" Although her words could be taken as a joke, her voice cracked and tears filled her eyes. Had she seriously believed that Zuko would do something for her when he had something to gain by doing the opposite? She looked to the side and tried to keep her composure although her lips were trembling from the effort of keeping the tears in. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep going back to the person who kept letting her down and lying to her? She drew in a deep, shuddering breath and closed her eyes. Tears escaped her eyes as she whispered her next words. "This isn't going to work."

Zuko was quiet for so long that Katara opened her eyes just in case he had silently stalked off. But there he stood, his expression one of frustration.

"Not if you're going to get all self-righteous every time we have a fight," he agreed bitterly.

"Self-righteous?" Katara repeated, sadness immediately being replaced with anger. "In what way am I being self-righteous? I'm angry because you disrespectfully named a day after my dead best friend just so that the Fire Nation can feel good about itself!"

"Exactly!" Zuko burst out. "The Fire Nation has _nothing _to be proud of, not anymore. The things that we used to see with satisfaction, we now see with shame. The Avatar's death symbolises the strength and resilience of our nation. It gives people hope. But what's more…what's more, my father was so smug after the Day of Black Sun that he wanted everyone to know and remember what a great leader he was. He made the kitchen staff work overtime and sent baskets of food out to all the starving families."

"That doesn't sound like Ozai," Katara frowned after a moment of silence.

"Well, the baskets of food were accompanied by a long transcript noting why he was the best Fire Lord who had ever lived and why he would be expecting them to work even harder after the victory," Zuko admitted. "But that isn't the point. The point is that the peasants had hope that things could finally go back to normal. Money for the war had sucked the economy dry and people were starting to die of starvation and illnesses that they couldn't afford to get medicines for. So that's why, every anniversary of the Day of Black Sun, money and food parcels are sent out to the towns and villages around the capital as a reminder of what we lost and gained when the Avatar died."

Katara was finding it hard to come up with a quantifiable reason that Avatar Day shouldn't exist. Zuko had fully explained why the day was created and why it was continued, and yet Katara still hated it because it marked Aang's death as a joyous occasion when it was the very thing that tore her apart. She cared if peasants lived or died, of course she did. She just wished that they'd get sent food anyway.

"Make a national Fire Nation Pride day or something," Katara shrugged hotly, determined to have discontinued the day's traditions by the end of this conversation. "Don't make everyone remember Aang in this way."

"So you _do _want him remembered?" Zuko challenged, raising his eyebrow.

"Of course," Katara sighed, frustrated.

"Right," Zuko nodded sarcastically. "You want your friend's death remembered but not in a way that means starving people get fed or a way that actually marks his death at all."

"Stop twisting everything!" Katara shouted. "I'm not going to be a part of this day, and that includes skipping whatever stupid feasts you've got planned. You can forget it. I'm not remembering Aang this way."

She turned on her heel and walked off heatedly without another word. There was no doubt that, if she had been a Firebender, steam would be pouring from her ears.

Zuko sighed heavily. Wouldn't it be easier to just kill him now before he did something else that Katara disagreed with? Or would he just have to wait until she killed him herself? The door to the war room creaked open slightly and Zuko, unsurprised, turned towards the figure exiting softly from it. Taro avoided the water left over from where Katara had attacked the guards (who had mysteriously vanished after the Waterbender's attack on them) and came to a stop next to Zuko. The young and the elderly were joined in a silent understanding. It was just a matter of who spoke first.

"This can't go on," Taro said eventually, breaking the silence.

"I know," Zuko sighed.

"The nobles are talking already," Taro began uncomfortably, not looking at the Prince. "The murmurings we feared are coming to pass. That you cannot control your future wife and therefore cannot hope to control you future nation."

"This has always been my nation," Zuko growled. "Maybe the nobles should try spending a day with Katara before they make any rash judgements."

"She's very strong-willed," Taro agreed. His voice suggested that he did not find this a good thing. "Perhaps stronger measures will be needed to curb her enthusiasm."

Zuko gently shrugged Taro's arm from his shoulder and turned sceptically to the wizened Council member. "Nothing too over the top. Tried it. Failed."

Taro sighed. "Do whatever you think is most wise, Prince Zuko, but remember…whatever decision you make now will ultimately affect your reputation, your standing and perhaps even your right to rule."

"So no pressure," Zuko muttered. "You can go and tell the other Council members to stop pressing their ears to the door now."

Taro bowed his head in respect and walked back to the throne room, his heart heavy. Zuko watched him leave, desperate for some time to think about his options. At the moment it didn't bother him that he had once again screwed things up with Katara. At the moment he wasn't thinking of ways to make it up to her. At the moment he was wondering if there was any way to secure his and Katara's future without losing her trust forever.

* * *

"Don't ever get married, Momo," Katara warned darkly as she flounced angrily into her room. "Don't even think about it. You ever see a cute little lady lemur? Leave her be."

Momo opened his eyes lazily, concluded that his human friend was talking nonsense and quickly went back to sleep. Katara directed her glares at him for awhile before shaking her head and throwing herself on the bed next to the lemur. She knew this day would be awful and she was right. Of course, she hadn't expected to be proven right in such a dramatic way and so quickly, but as Sokka once said about himself, the Universe just loved proving her wrong.

It was times like these that Katara wished she had stopped and taken something of Aang's to remember him by. She could have drawn a picture of him, although her art skills were next to nothing. She could have asked him to put his handprint in mud. All those silly, trivial little things would've meant the world to her now. She drummed her fingers to no particular rhythm on the bedspread, earning a disgruntled moan from Momo.

"Hush," she commanded quietly. "I'm trying to be depressed."

_And I'm trying to sleep, _Momo was probably muttering in his mind. Katara smiled weakly at this thought and sat back up. After a pause, she stood up and walked slowly over to the window. Birds were singing happily from somewhere in the hedge, they also uncaring about what this day meant to Katara. A gentle breeze flew across the sky, whispering amongst the plants and trees and making them sway them slightly. Making a split-second decision to join the natural world and mourn privately, Katara heaved up the window to the balcony. Immediately the breeze entered the room and made her hair flutter around her face. Katara swept the strands from her eyes and proceeded to step onto the stone balcony. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and closed her eyes as she exhaled. The sun was on her face but she had never been colder. Turning to the vines that granted her access to the beautiful sanctuary below, Katara leant over the stone and grasped the top vine, tugging on it gently to make sure that it was still stable. She quickly Waterbended the thick green vines into a makeshift ladder and was in the process of climbing onto the top rung when an amused voice called behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Katara jumped and almost fell. Her heart thudding dramatically, she shakily climbed back onto the balcony. Zuko stood there, a confused smile on his face.

"Stretching my legs," Katara replied bitingly. "Why didn't you knock?"

"I did," Zuko replied, calling after Katara as she strode past him into her bedroom, embarrassed and angry. "Why didn't you lock your door?"

"I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to come after me," Katara hissed. She walked over to the door and wrenched it open. "You proved me wrong again and now you can leave."

Zuko sighed and followed her into the room, carefully closing the windows to the balcony shut. "Katara, this is serious. I need to talk to you."

Something in his voice made Katara frown and slowly shut the door. However, she kept her distance from Zuko in case she needed to make a quick escape.

"The Council and some nobles are suggesting that I can't fulfil my role of Fire Lord properly if we keep arguing so publicly," Zuko started, focusing his eyes away from Katara. "A Fire Lord is supposed to be strong in all aspects of his life and…and you're my weak aspect."

Katara's eyes were filled with caution and confusion as she stared at her future husband. Something wasn't right.

"You constantly disregard me, you scream at me in front of important people, you flout my rules," Zuko's voice, which had been filled with anger as he listed Katara's bad qualities suddenly relaxed and he smiled slightly. "And I love you for it."

Katara's eyes shot upwards sharply. Golden eyes looked calmly back.

"I love you," he repeated. The happiness in his eyes dulled and his face fell. "Which is why I hate myself for what I'm about to do."

Katara's heart thumped unevenly and Zuko's next words were spoken as though in slow motion; Katara had a vague idea of what was going on but was powerless to do anything to stop it.

"I can't trust you to act like the obedient wife that everyone thinks I should have," Zuko started regretfully. "I know that you shouldn't have to act like that but I can't be seen as a powerful leader unless everyone falls under my command." He sounded disgusted with himself but shook his head and continued. "I feel that you need an incentive to act dutiful towards me in public and in front of nobles. So if you can keep the charade up, you can see your family and friends as much as you like."

"And if I don't I never see them again?" Katara asked furiously, tears springing to her eyes at the mere thought. At Zuko's silence, she scowled angrily. "That isn't an incentive, it's blackmail! And you can't ban people from coming into the Fire Nation, it's completely ridiculous!"

"When I'm Fire Lord, the decision to ban people from my country will be solely my decision," Zuko corrected her gravely.

"You'll only get that power when I marry you, and if you threaten my family like this then I won't go through with it," Katara warned wildly, searching frantically for a loophole.

"Then I'll summon your family here and put them under house arrest," Zuko invented, trying to show Katara that he was serious about his need for her to act properly towards him.

"Causing another war which is the same damn reason that you're marrying me in the first place!" Katara reminded hotly. "Zuko, don't do this to me! My family are all I have left."

"You've got me," Zuko reminded her, hurt.

Katara shook her head slowly. "No, I don't. You never change, do you? You threaten and hurt people until you get what you want…and now I'm stuck in the trap."

"I'm not like that!" Zuko insisted, desperation and anger mingling in his voice. "I'm not-"

"Your father?" Katara dared to suggest. Sparkling tears ran down her tan cheeks.

Neither teenagers looked at each other in the painful silence that followed. Katara's tears had dried before she glanced back up.

"So that's it?" she whispered. "I don't play along and I don't see my family again?"

"I wish there was another way," Zuko replied, also whispering but not looking at her.

Katara bit the inside of her cheeks and squeezed her eyes shut tightly for a few seconds before opening the bedroom door. Zuko took the message and silently walked towards the exit.

"For what it's worth," Katara murmured as Zuko passed, "I loved you too."

Zuko winced at her use of the past tense but didn't answer as he left. Katara shut the door with an echoing finality. She hung her head and sobbed quietly as Momo chirruped in confusion and wound himself around her legs.

* * *

_I'm almost afraid to leave this room, _Katara thought several hours later as she went to check on Iroh. _Then again, what else can happen? I've lost everything that I care about._

With that irrational yet oddly comforting thought, Katara made sure that her door was locked and set off to Iroh's room. She had been neglecting him somewhat recently and wanted to make sure that he was alright. He was still alive, proving wrong the healers, but he was visibly growing weaker every day. Privately, Katara knew that he didn't have long left, although she would never speak this out loud and hated herself for even thinking it. She kept her thoughts stubbornly off a certain Fire Prince and instead focused them on whatever other lonely thoughts crossed her mind.

When she reached the corridor along which Iroh's room was, Katara frowned. There was no one guarding the bedroom door. Panicking that something terrible had happened, Katara ran over to the door, yanked it open and ran inside. The room, as ever, was covered in darkness so thick that Katara could barely see three feet in front of her. But she made out the reassuring lump in Iroh's bed and, her heart slowing down with relief, walked over to it gently.

"Hi Iroh," she murmured, kneeling next to his bed. "I'm sorry I haven't been to see you in awhile. There's no one guarding your door which is pretty weird, but as long as you're okay then I guess it's fine. For a guy in a coma, you sure cause a lot of trouble."

Mentally cursing, Zuko pressed himself further against the wall of his uncle's room. He had stood up to get a glass of water from the jug over in the corner of the room when suddenly Katara had burst in. A part of Zuko was ordering that he reveal himself, apologize and leave, but another part of him was curious to hear what Katara was going to say. Let's face it, after the ass that Zuko had been this afternoon she was more than likely to complain about him.

"I'm glad that you're still here," Katara whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with you and I'm doing a really bad job of trying to find out. Your symptoms are like nothing I've ever seen before. You've just got to be awkward." Again, her weak attempt at a joke fell flat. "And I know that you're having a worse time of it than me right now, but…" she trailed off with a choked sob. "How can things go so wrong so quickly? What have I done to deserve this? On the anniversary of the _death of my best friend_, Zuko decides to drop the bombshell that if I don't start catering to his every whim then he'll have my family banished from the Fire Nation and I'll never see them again!" Angry tears flooded her eyes and she clenched her fists. Zuko noted in alarm that the water jug he was holding was quaking violently. "Why is he two different people around me? I never know which side I'm getting, if the things I say will make him laugh or go mad at me. And here's the punch line: I go back to him. Every damn time. Because…I love him." Katara rolled her eyes at herself and laughed slightly. "How pathetic does that sound?" She sighed and heaved herself up. "I would ask you if you wanted any water but you've got the whole 'unconscious' thing going on."

Zuko's eyes widened as Katara walked his way. He tried to move stealthily but her narrowed sapphire eyes locked onto him as she walked into the shadows.

"Have you been here the whole time?" she hissed angrily.

"You've only been here about ten seconds," Zuko protested. At Katara's continued glare, he sighed. "But yeah."

"You absolute-"

"Shh!" Zuko cut off suddenly, instinctively raising his hand and covering her mouth. Katara clawed at his hand indignantly so Zuko raised a finger from his free hand to his lips. Katara nodded and Zuko slowly dropped his hand. Katara narrowed her eyes, pointed silently at Zuko and then drew a thin line across her neck, symbolising execution. Zuko rolled his eyes and pointed towards the door. Concealed by shadows, the teenagers craned their necks.

A hooded stranger stole into the room, shutting the door carefully without any noise. The stranger wore a large black cloak, which a small crystalline vial was quickly drew from as the stranger reached Iroh's bed. The stranger uncorked the vial with a soft _pop_ and reached over to Iroh's mouth, prising it gently open. Katara, ignoring Zuko's instructions to stay put, launched herself out of the shadows and straight into the stranger's back. With a muffled grunt, the stranger fell to the floor, dropping and smashing the vial on the floor.

"Bastard," Katara hissed to the stranger as Zuko ran over to check that his uncle had not been affected by the looming vial. She knelt down and roughly forced the hood off the stranger. Two seconds passed in shocked silence as familiar green eyes stared back at her.

"Haru?" Katara whispered, scrambling back and away from the young man she had assumed dead. Her eyes were glued to the Earthbender's face, not knowing what facts to take in first.

"Hello Katara," Haru replied calmly, jerking his neck to the side where it cracked loudly and then sitting up. "I thought this might happen."

"It…it's been you this whole time?" Katara asked, her voice cracking. "You've been poisoning Iroh?"

"Yes," Haru replied, vicious pride shining in his eyes as he stood up. "The Fire Nation Royal Family have destroyed countless lives and it has been my honor to-"

Haru was cut off at that point by Zuko's punch straight to the head. The Fire Prince stared down at the newly unconscious Earthbender with hatred, his fists clenched and smoking. He soon turned his glare onto Katara. "You know him?"

"He was on our side in the invasion," Katara whispered, shaken all the more by Zuko's accusing tone. "I thought he was dead."

"He will be," Zuko promised with a growl. He leant over and spat onto Haru's unconscious form. "I'll make sure this bastard is executed for what he's done."

"No!" Katara gasped, reaching out and clutching Zuko's arm. Haru was still her friend and there had to be something better for him than death.

Zuko yanked his arm away. "If you're with him, you're against me," he warned darkly, ignoring the tears forming in Katara's eyes. "And if you're against me, your family suffer the consequences."

Katara nodded dumbly, staring to the floor and letting her hair fall in front of her face. It hid the cascade of tears.

"Good," Zuko muttered. He stalked just outside of the room. "Guards!" he hollered. Katara winced away as guards quickly entered the room, were filled in on the situation and dragged Haru away. Without another look or word to Katara, Zuko followed the guards out.

Katara turned to Iroh, tears making her vision blurred. "I really hate this day," she murmured as the tears came thick and fast.

* * *

**A/N:**

**El Gasp! Nah, you know you all love a bit of drama :P**

**Congrats to **Ogro **who halfway guessed about what was wrong with Iroh. It'll be in the next chapter, but I'll put it in here anyway: the 'olive-skinned guard' called Fong mentioned in a couple of chapters was actually Haru in disguise. Don't worry if you're confused, I'll explain better next chapter.**

**Speaking of next chapter, I've got my exams coming up very soon and so won't be able to update every week. You probably noticed that this chapter was a week late…blame revision, me going to Italy (where part of this chapter was written) and being so ridiculously tired right now that every other word has to be spell checked XD I also cut my thumb before which was highly unimpressive T-T.**

**Thank you so much to all of my reviewers, including the anonymous ones! I very much appreciate you and your kind words, they keep me going when most of my nights are filled with revision.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, have a great week!**

**- Momo**


	19. The Heart Of Everything

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Just a warning, but this chapter gets pretty dark. Hope you enjoy regardless (:**

_

* * *

_

Now I know I won't make it. There will be a time we'll get back our freedom…they can't break what's inside. Stay with me now I'm facing my last solemn hour. Very soon I'll embrace you on the other side. Hear the crowd in the distance screaming out my faith. Now their voices are fading, I can feel no more pain. Open up your eyes, see what you've become, don't sacrifice. It's truly the heart of everything.

- The Heart Of Everything _by _Within Temptation

* * *

Dinner that night was agonizing. It was just Zuko and Katara sitting alone at the large dining table as Mai and Ty Lee, sensing how bad things were about to become, had hurriedly excused themselves and returned home. As Katara pushed food around her plate, she found she wished for company. Anything but this painful silence. Servants lined the walls and Katara caught the occasional meaningful glance shared between friends. The news that Iroh's 'attacker' had been caught spread like…well, fire, around the palace and the servants couldn't seem able to get enough of gossiping. Katara had heard their hushed laughter as they wondered aloud how the prisoner would be executed. Katara winced away and carried on walking next to Zuko, who had knocked on for her half an hour ago, intending to accompany her for dinner. She had expected some sort of groveling apology but none came. Zuko gripped her hand tighter than was necessary and walked her through the halls in furious silence. It wasn't until Zuko next spoke that Katara knew why she had been walked to dinner.

"I don't want you visiting the prisoner," he said, setting down his clean utensils and looking at Katara seriously.

"Why not?" Katara asked quietly, continuing to look down and shuffle the contents of her plate. She had expected as much and so wasn't as indignant as she had been an hour or so ago.

"I'm not stupid," Zuko growled. "I know that you'd do something ridiculous like try and break him out. You're easily swayed. You'd believe anything that bastard said."

"I know what he did was unforgivable but he's still my friend and I won't sit back and watch you condemn him to death," Katara replied, her low voice calm. Zuko slammed his fist down on the table harshly and she winced.

"Dammit, Katara!" he shouted. Katara reluctantly dragged her eyes up to meet his blazing golden ones. "This man is not your friend! He tried to kill my uncle, the man who has been so good to you ever since you got here! Are you just going to betray him and allow the man that wished him dead to live?"

"I have lost too many people to just watch Haru lose his life so easily now," Katara answered, her voice heating up. "I understand your point, I really do, but I can't let you kill him."

"He committed treason and will pay the consequences," Zuko said with an excruciating finality. "Be careful, otherwise you will be tarred with the same brush and I won't be able to save you."

Katara gave him a disgusted look before going back to pushing food around her plate. The soft scraping sound was the only noise for the rest of dinner.

* * *

"You don't need to escort me everywhere," Katara grumbled as Zuko took her hand and began to lead her back to her room.

"Ever think that I'm doing this for your own protection?" Zuko snarled in reply. "The prisoner managed to live amongst us for three years before making his move. How do I know that his friends aren't living somewhere in the palace, just waiting for the right moment to attack?"

"What friends?" Katara asked bitterly. "You killed them all."

Zuko chose to ignore that, although it stabbed at him. He looked away from Katara and spoke quietly. "You can't blame me for being worried. If I left you alone and they got to you, I'd never forgive myself."

"So you _do_ still care," Katara said, rolling her eyes.

"Of course I do. Love doesn't just vanish over the course of a few hours."

"I disagree."

"That's because you're angry," Zuko chuckled darkly. "As much as you want to deny it, you love me."

"Give it time," Katara answered, although she knew that it was futile. She still loved Zuko, of course she did. Like he said, love doesn't just vanish overnight.

When they reached Katara's room, Zuko opened the door.

"Can I come inside?" he asked hesitantly, hanging back in the doorway.

"Are you serious?" Katara asked, her eyebrows raised as she walked past Zuko's arm holding the door open and entered her room.

"Yes. I have some news."

Katara eyed him cautiously before slowly nodding.

"Thank you," Zuko replied, light sarcasm in his voice. He closed the door tightly and turned back to Katara. "I met with the Council earlier. We know what's wrong with my uncle but we don't know which poison the prisoner used and besides, his system could be too far gone to recover itself properly."

"So…you think he's going to die?" Katara whispered, her tone somewhere between fear and fury that Zuko would even think this.

"I recognize the possibility," Zuko replied, so quietly that Katara barely heard him. He cleared his throat and continued in a stronger voice. "The Council think - and I agree with them - that Uncle Iroh would want to give us his blessing before we wed."

"That would be quite difficult seeing as he's been in a coma for the past few weeks," Katara frowned.

"The Council think that since my uncle's not being fed the poison anymore, he'll wake up sometime in the next two days," Zuko shrugged nonchalantly, trying not to show how desperate he was to believe this.

"I don't think that's how these things work," Katara said gently, unable to keep the skepticism from her voice. "But I can talk to Haru and-"

"No!" Zuko cut across sharply. "I was serious before, Katara. You won't be going anywhere near him. You shouldn't want to."

"If he can tell me what poison he used on Iroh then maybe I can find a cure before it's too late," Katara argued.

"I said no," Zuko growled forcefully. Katara rolled her eyes, hiding how shaken she was. Zuko sighed and continued. "But that's not what I came here for. I intend to marry you in the next three days."

"What?" Katara asked, her voice so high with surprise that it squeaked. "No! What about my family and Toph? I was promised they'd be here!"

"And I was promised a somewhat normal life with two loving parents and a doting sister," Zuko replied sarcastically. "Things change."

"I'm not going to marry you without my family here," Katara told him, clearly enunciating every word so that he got the message.

"I want my uncle to be alive to see me get married," Zuko answered with equal conviction. "I owe him that. We can invite your family here once this is all over."

"But that's the thing, it's never going to be over! There's always going to be something," Katara snapped. "Besides, you can't be Fire Lord while Iroh's still alive."

"We can bend the rules on this occasion, seeing how my uncle's been inactive for awhile," Zuko replied, evidently ready for this. "The Council-"

"Screw the Council!" Katara shouted. "Do you not have a mind of your own now?"

"I do," Zuko answered. "My mind is telling me to make you my wife in the next three days."

"Then your mind is stupid and delusional, because that isn't going to happen!"

"We'll see about that," Zuko warned.

"Yeah, we will!" Katara agreed. "Now get out of my room!"

Zuko stalked out, slamming the door behind him angrily as he went. The solid doorframe shook violently. Katara scowled after him and mimicked crushing something between her hands…preferably Zuko's head.

"See, this is what happens when teenagers are set to marry," Katara growled, whirling around to face her bed where she assumed Momo was sleeping. But he wasn't there. "Momo?" she frowned, worry entering her voice. She quickly scanned the room, her frantic eyes darting from every nook to every cranny. She checked that the windows were locked, ran into the bathroom and looked there and even checked in the wardrobe and under the bed.

"Appa's going to kill me," she muttered after checking every possible hiding place in the room. Her eyes reluctantly strayed to her bedroom door. She had shut it before dinner…hadn't she? Of course she had. She always shut the door and locked it. But was it possible that she had been so enraged by Zuko feeling the need to escort her everywhere that she had simply forgotten?

_Okay, I've got two choices: one, hope that Momo comes back on his own and wait until morning to check or two, go looking for him now._

It was no contest; Katara was already halfway down the corridor before she knew it.

The corridors at this time of night were dark and eerie. The only source of light were the small lamps lit at random intervals, not enough to make Katara feel comforted. She hugged arms tightly around her waist, only taking small steps to ensure that she didn't fall over anything.

"Momo?" she hissed into the darkness. "Momo, where are you?"

_I really should've waited until morning, _Katara thought uneasily after five minutes of wandering alone in the dark. It had seemed like a lifetime that she was curled up in bed in the South Pole and she'd give anything to go back. Now here she was searching for a lemur in the Fire Nation palace halls. This was really not how she had expected her life to end out.

"I'll…uh…give you some leechee nuts?" Katara whispered, casting around for something that might tempt the lemur. "And I'll try and set you up with one of those Fire Nation hawks I've seen around. It could be the start of a beautiful relationship!"

"Is there a problem, Lady Katara?" a quiet voice asked to her left. Katara jumped a mile and clutched her hand to her rapidly beating chest.

"Don't…do that…again!" she ordered the mystery servant, her breaths coming out in short sharp blasts.

"My humblest apologies," the servant groveled. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It…it's alright," Katara replied, waving away his apology. "I'm fine now."

"Is there anything I can do for you, Lady Katara?" His voice became hesitant. "Only, Prince Zuko says that you shouldn't be wandering the halls after dark."

"I'll bet he does," Katara grumbled. She began to decline the offer, but stopped and nodded instead. "Yes, I think there is. Have you seen a lemur anywhere about tonight?"

"You mean Momo?" the servant asked, perking up.

"Yeah," Katara replied suspiciously. "How do you know his name?"

"Uh…" the servant began sheepishly. "Everyone in the palace, if not the whole Fire Nation, knows the names of your animals and friends. You're famous."

"I'd rather not be," Katara sighed sadly, her eyes steadily adjusting to the dimness. "If what happened meant I was famous then I'd rather be a nobody."

"But you've got books written about you, paintings on display…even plays performed!" the servant replied, his youth meaning that he didn't understand Katara's point of view.

"Plays?" Katara repeated in disbelief. "Those I've got to see."

"They don't really do you justice," the servant murmured, looking away. "They don't really do anyone justice."

"Oh," Katara sighed, deflated again. "So, have you seen Momo recently?"

"Not tonight, sorry," the servant replied. "But I can ask the other servants if they've seen him."

"Please," Katara nodded gratefully.

The servant nodded once and scooted off, leaving Katara alone. Every little sound in the darkness sounded menacing. The creaking of the building, the far off footsteps, the chirruping.

_Wait._

_The chirruping?_

"Momo!" Katara grinned, half throwing herself down the corridor as the lemur ambled along quite happily. He hissed and flew back in fright as Katara hurtled towards him, but once he recognized her was calm once more. Seeing more fur than actual lemur, Katara bent down and ushered him into her arms. "Where've you been?" she scolded.

Momo replied with a quiet growl. He began to struggle in Katara's arms and eventually flung himself away from her and darted down the corridor.

"Momo!" Katara shouted, concerned. She scrambled after him, almost crashing into a wall in her haste to catch the lemur in the dim light. "Momo, where are you going?"

Momo ran through the hallways and Katara got the unnerving feeling that he was trying to show her something. But what could be this urgent that it couldn't wait until morning? The corridors got colder as Katara descended a flight of stone stairs, the atmosphere dire.

"Lady Katara?" a confused voice asked.

Katara looked up and around at the stone walls dripping with moisture. Guards holding heavy looking clubs stopped pacing the room and turned to stare at her. Momo flew onto Katara's shoulder, satisfied that he had shown her what she needed to see.

"Is…is this the dungeon?" Katara asked, disgust etched onto her face. A large, thick wooden door stood just a few meters away and, though closed, a foul stench seeped through the cracks.

"Yes, My Lady," the closest guard said, quickly bowing and then straightening up. "It's not for delicate eyes such as your own."

"I'll decide that," Katara frowned, jerking her arm away from where the guard had attempted to steer her from the room. "Are all the prisoners in here?"

All the guards in the room exchanged conspicuous glances. Katara rolled her eyes at their lack of subtlety. Her bare arms were beginning to get Goosebumps from the chill of the room. She could only imagine what lay beyond the wooden door.

"It's a simple question," Katara scowled. She could already tell that these macho types would always obey orders from the Prince and always ignore her.

"Yes, Lady Katara," the head guard nodded. "But we are under strict orders not to let anyone down here."

Katara sighed and rolled her eyes again. She withdrew a shimmering stream of water and flexed it threateningly.

"We all know how this is going to turn out, so why don't you just save us all the effort and let me pass?"

The guards subdued surprisingly quickly and lined up against the walls, leaving the door free. Katara glanced at each guard suspiciously, but didn't take the blessing for granted and quickly reached the door and pulled it open. She recoiled from the overpowering stink, her eyes watering all of a sudden.

"Don't even think about calling Prince Zuko," she warned the guards as an afterthought, although the threat was ruined by her muffled voice as she held her hand over her nose and mouth. Plus, she knew that the guards would ignore her and tell Zuko anyway. "What happens in here can actually save the Fire Lord's life."

Again the guards swapped glances but Katara ignored them and walked bravely into the dungeon. Momo hissed furiously and leapt from her shoulders back into the guard room.

"Okay…I'll see you later," Katara shrugged. She couldn't blame Momo; if she didn't have something potentially life-saving to do then she'd run a mile too.

Cells lined either side of the long stone corridor. The flags beneath her feet were poorly joined together, and moss peeked through the gaps. Katara tried to look straight ahead but had to check in every cell she passed to see if Haru occupied any of them. A footstep echoed behind her and she jumped and turned swiftly around. A guard had followed her in.

"Murderers and rapists fill these cells," the guard told her, his voice low and gruff. "It's not right for a young woman to be here alone."

"Thank you," Katara said, trying and failing to smile.

Moisture trickled down the walls, making an occasional dripping sound that Katara ignored. Prisoners leered at her from behind the rusty bars, reaching out and trying to grab her. The guard growled and smacked their hands back with the heavy club that he held.

"Scum," he hissed, spitting at them. The men shrank back.

Finally, Katara reached Haru's cell. The young man huddled in plain, oversized prisoner clothes was so unrecognizable that Katara had to call his name doubtfully. He looked up at her with dead eyes.

"Can I go in?" she whispered to the guard, dragging her eyes away from Haru.

The guard nodded reluctantly and unlocked the cell using just one of the many keys he had. He adopted a defensive position until the cell had been re-closed with Katara in it, just in case the prisoner tried to escape. He then relocked the door and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Katara called after him. The guard stopped and turned around. "I know that you're going to tell Prince Zuko that I'm here. I don't like it, although I know that you can't disobey orders. But I'm begging you to wait a few minutes before you do. Just give me some time so I can know that I at least tried. Please."

The guard eyes her warily before slowly nodding. "I can give you no longer than half an hour."

This was better than Katara expected so she nodded enthusiastically. Throwing one last cautious glance backwards, the guard left the block of cells and shut the door tightly behind him. All at once the prisoners began shouting, calling to Katara lecherous suggestions. Snarling, she glared at all of the prisoners in her eye line.

"If you don't shut up then I'll show you what I think the punishment for your crimes should be. I assure you, you'll wish for a lifetime in prison when I'm finished." She paused, pretending to think. "Although I suppose not everyone here wants to father a child. Still, it'd probably be nice to have the option."

The prisoners were quiet after that.

After nodding once in satisfaction, Katara became subdued and turned to face her friend. Although it had only been three years, his face had aged dramatically, his mustache had grown out and his eyes carried the haunted look of one that has gone through too much, too young. It was the look she recognized in the mirror sometimes.

"Why did you come here, Katara?" Haru asked quietly, his voice rough. "One last final goodbye to ease your conscience?"

"What?" Katara frowned, carefully balancing on the balls of her feet and leaning against the bars; she didn't trust the substances on the floor enough to sit near them. "No, that isn't it at all."

"But you must know that I'm going to die," Haru challenged, his voice unnervingly calm. "And I'm sure that you think that if you come and visit me before I die and offer your apologies then you'll be able to sleep better at night, huddled up next to the Fire Prince like the traitorous bitch that you are."

Katara leant back into the bars, shocked. Haru wouldn't look at her, but she could tell that underneath the calm exterior lay untamed fury. The cell was silent for a minute as Katara tried to think of something to say.

"I'm not a traitor," she managed finally. "I'm only marrying Zuko to keep the Water Tribes safe and the Earth Kingdom out of another war."

"Or at least that's what you tell yourself," Haru muttered. "But tell me something. When you're being dressed in the finest of silks, eating delicacies that others can only dream of and keeping Zuko's bed warm, do you ever spare a thought for the people you lost three years ago? Every time you walk past the throne room, does your mind flash back to the bodies of your friends and allies, strewn all over the floor with their insides torn out?"

"Stop it," Katara whispered, tears springing to her eyes that were clenched tightly shut.

"I wish that I could!" Haru shouted, jumping to his feet suddenly. Katara flinched away as he continued to scream down at her. "I saw their bodies and instead of fighting to avenge them, I ran! I ran and I hid and I waited until the latest batch of servants were shipped in! When I joined them there were no questions asked because everybody was too busy celebrating their victory. But karma caught up with me." Haru voice hollowed. His eyes flashed to Katara's. "Do you know what my first job was?" Katara shook her head and he carried on. "I had to take all the bodies outside to be burnt. I carried the little girl who was with us, the Freedom Fighter, outside into the sunlight. I'll never forget how peaceful she looked, how she just looked as though she were asleep. Then I placed her in the pile of corpses and I saw that the back of her head was missing. The blood wouldn't come off my hands for days."

Tears slid silently down Katara's face as she covered her mouth with her hand. Haru had suffered worse than she had.

"For about a year I worked unnoticed in the palace, all the while wondering if things would have been different if I'd stayed in the fight. I don't know why I was such a coward but I paid the price for it. Until one day, the Fire Lord's personal servant grew ill and later died. I don't know what was wrong with him and I didn't ask. I didn't care. But then the head servant put my name forward as a suggestion for a replacement. He'd always had an irritating soft spot for me…I suppose it was because I didn't talk much or interact with anyone else. But this man was always kind to me and thought that it would make my life better if I was the Fire Lord's servant. And in an ironic way, it did.

I soon learned that I was to make the Fire Lord's meals and then serve them to him. I wanted to know if there was any way that I could somehow poison his meals without it becoming evident that it was poison. Then I remembered that a young boy had died in my village a couple of years before my father was taken away. No one knew what was wrong with him until his mother found that he had been eating the hemlock leaves that grew just outside his bedroom window. But by then it was too late. The boy died shortly after." Haru began to pace up and down in the small cell, speaking more to himself than to Katara. "And then I knew how I would avenge all those lives that had been lost. I would kill the Fire Lord with hemlock leaves. The plants are common in parts of the Earth Kingdom but almost unheard of anywhere else. The only problem was, how to get the leaves? It was then that I did something that could've risked everything: I wrote a letter to my village. I left out a lot but explained that I was still alive and working from the inside to bring down the Fire Nation."

"How did you send the letter?" Katara asked, so involved in the horrific story that she didn't really want to interrupt.

"Messenger hawk," Haru replied distractedly. "The girl who trained the birds was the sister of the head servant. It seemed that while I was fantasizing about killing them, they'd been sympathizing with me and had some sort of agreement to help me out. I enquired how the birds would know to go somewhere, say the Earth Kingdom, and the girl seemed to get the message. She obviously knew that I was from the Earth Kingdom and guessed that I wanted to get in contact with my family. It was frowned upon but she agreed to help me for some reason. After that it got easier. I got a reply almost instantly saying that it would be the village's honor to help me. I got a list of names who would be willing to help me and we named ourselves The Crusaders. Having a group behind me, even though I was in a different country to them, made me feel less alone. It spurred me on. When I received the first parcel filled with hemlock leaves I can't describe how I felt. The girl who trained the birds enquired about the parcels so I spun her a story about having fathered a child in the Fire Nation and needing to provide for it. The foolish girl believed me and asked no questions after that."

"So you just slipped the leaves into Ozai's drink and that was it?" Katara asked.

"I'm getting to that!" Haru snapped, losing his already fragile composure. "But essentially, yes. I ground the leaves up and called them tea leaves. It was a lot easier with Iroh, who enjoyed tea much more." He ignored Katara's bristle at Iroh's name. "The Crusaders also sent me the remedy for hemlock leaves in case I was ordered to test the drink first, in which some cases I was. The symptoms for hemlock poisoning aren't recognized and so making the antidote was difficult, but my men managed it."

As Haru paused and savored the pride he felt, Katara's mind was whirring a mile a minute. So Haru had the antidote to the poison? That meant Iroh still had a chance at life! Katara wanted to run straight out and search Haru's living quarters at that moment, but curiosity got the better of her and she found herself listening to the rest of Haru's dark tale.

"I was surprised how long it took the Fire Lord to die. Then again, I learnt my lesson and used bigger portions of hemlock this time. When Ozai died, there were many who secretly rejoiced. They all hated their Fire Lord and had probably often wanted to kill him themselves. I think that's why Iroh kept all the same personal servants. He had faith that the servants wouldn't betray him like that. And they wouldn't. All the servants loved Iroh and would often bleat on about how he had saved the Fire Nation."

"Then why try and kill him?" Katara asked in a choked voice.

"Because he's a member of the Fire Nation royal family," Haru shrugged. "Once Iroh had died I would've moved onto Zuko and then any children you might've had with him."

"What?" Katara whispered in horror, her eyes wide.

"It's my destiny to end the Fire Nation royal family," Haru said determinedly. "When I heard that you would marry Prince Zuko I thought that you'd join me in my quest. I was so excited and happy that I wouldn't be alone anymore…emotions that I hadn't felt for quite some time. But then you started to fall in love with the Prince." Haru frowned. "I saw it better than anyone, even the two of you. I saw you around the palace occasionally but you didn't notice me. Every time you and Zuko had an argument, the servant quarters would buzz with the news. Some servants respected you while others thought you unwise to trifle with Zuko. But after a few weeks, you had earned all the servants respect. Then Toph arrived and she soon won over the servants too, although she rarely met them. I was so afraid that she would recognize my heartbeat or my footsteps or something and then my plan would be ruined."

"She did," Katara realized. "She heard some footsteps that she knew but didn't recall." She looked away. "For a split second I…I hoped that it might be Aang, as stupid as that was."

"I don't think it's stupid," Haru replied with a shrug. "Whatever gives you hope isn't stupid. Without hope, would any of us still be here?"

"Some of us struggle on because we're too damn stubborn to let go," Katara whispered, closing her eyes briefly and touching her mother's necklace.

"I can let go now that Ozai is dead and Iroh will soon join him," Haru nodded, spoiling the moment completely.

As Katara sat in silence, Zuko was several floors above, fuming and on his way down to the dungeons to collect his disobedient bride-to-be. He stormed down the corridors quickly and was approaching the dungeons in no time.

Back inside the cell, Katara pressed her lips together as tears fell again. "What happened to you?" she whispered to the young man who had once been so gentle, her entire body quivering with grief.

Haru looked at her, and for a moment his eyes betrayed his vulnerability. "I don't know," he answered.

"I won't let them hurt you," Katara promised.

"They've set my execution time for sunrise. There's nothing more that you can do."

"Sunrise?" Katara repeated in disbelief. "No! I'll get you some more time!"

"For what?" Haru asked, a small smile on his lips. "I've done as much as I can."

"I don't want you to die," Katara murmured, her voice breaking. "I don't want to lose someone else."

Haru didn't reply.

A sudden, unwelcome thought struck Katara and she looked to Haru uncertainly. "If Iroh had died and you hadn't been caught, you say that you would've poisoned Zuko. What…" she took a deep breath, "what would you have done about me?"

"I would've freed you from the marriage beforehand," Haru said darkly, glaring down at the floor. His mood had suddenly turned again. "I would've poisoned your cup too."

"Why would you have done that?" Katara asked, standing up and backing herself against the bars.

"Because I would rather see you dead than with Zuko," Haru spat. "I should've poisoned your drink a long time ago for even agreeing to marry that bastard but I didn't want suspicions to be aroused. If you love him then you're just as much of a traitor as you claim he is and traitors don't deserve to live."

Katara closed her eyes again and let Haru's words sink in. How could he say something like that? Continuous tears seeped out of her eyes as the wooden dungeon door slammed open.

"Where is she?" Katara heard Zuko growl. She didn't open her eyes and kept her back pressed firmly against the bars of Haru's cell. Angry footsteps thudded towards her and came to a harsh halt behind her. "Katara. Out here. Now."

Katara opened her drenched eyes slowly and looked at Haru for what she worried would be the last time. The young man looked defensively over her shoulder, his oversized clothes swamping his cautious body. The sound of a key scraping in the lock and the cell door creaking open finally made Katara turn around.

"What the hell did I-" Zuko began furiously, but cut off when he saw her heartbreaking face. The guard swung the cell door shut again and locked it tightly. Zuko placed an uncertain hand on Katara's shoulder, only to have it shrugged off as she turned to the prisoner.

"Goodbye Haru," she whispered, her voice filled with pain and regret.

"Goodbye Katara," Haru replied. "It was an honor and a pleasure to know you before the Day of Black Sun."

"Likewise," Katara nodded. "I'll miss the person you used to be."

Haru laughed bitterly. "Likewise."

Zuko suddenly gripped Katara's shoulders and led her out of the dungeon without a backward glance at Haru. Katara walked automatically forward, only dimly realizing that two burly guards were following Zuko closely and Momo was flying slightly above them. Her mind was too preoccupied with the knowledge that Haru would die in a matter of hours unless she did something. The small group came to a stop in a dark corridor adjacent to Katara's room.

"You can't kill him," Katara said, her tears finally coming to a stop.

"Yes, I can," Zuko replied through gritted teeth as he began to walk away. "Treason is the ultimate crime."

"He told me where to get an antidote to the poison he's given Iroh!" Katara cried after him. It was only partly a lie; Haru had told her without realizing it.

"Then we will give it to my uncle and the prisoner will die at sunrise," Zuko shouted back without stopping.

Katara bit her lip in desperation as the two guards followed their Prince. What could she do? She had to think quickly.

"Do you love me?" she called. Zuko stopped.

"You know I do," he murmured, just loud enough for Katara to hear.

"Then, please, don't go through with this!" Katara said, her eyes damp once more as she ran to catch up with Zuko. "I'm begging you. For my sake."

"I have to," Zuko muttered, not turning to look at Katara as she reached him and stared beseechingly up at him.

"Spare him for me and…" Katara cast around wildly, "I'll marry you willingly."

"You'll marry me regardless," Zuko promised coldly. He set off again and Katara hurried to catch up with him, swiftly losing hope.

"Please, Zuko," she begged, her voice breaking again. "Don't do this."

"He murdered my father and tried to kill my uncle!" Zuko spat. "He can't go unpunished!"

Katara stopped walking and stood in the middle of the hallway. She watched Zuko's retreating back and called out: "You know I'll stop you."

Zuko stopped walking also and turned to Katara with a sigh. "I know," he nodded, his voice bleak. "And I'm sorry."

He glanced to the guards at either side of him and they began walking towards Katara.

"Sorry, Lady Katara," they mumbled as they advanced on her and placed a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Zuko, no!" Katara shouted as the guards forcibly turned her around. "You can't do this!"

"Make sure she stays in her room," Zuko muttered to the guards, hating himself as he turned his back on the one he loved. "I don't want her seeing it."

The guards swiftly led Katara to her room, opened the door, gently pushed her inside and shut the door, locking it from the outside. Enraged and at the same time desolate, Katara ran over to her window and tugged on the lock. It remained shut. Cursing everything she could think of, she ran over to the other side of the room and pulled on the lock. Again, nothing happened. Walking slowly back to the window, she peered outside and saw the glint of a soldier's helmet in the moonlight. So Zuko knew about her sanctuary and had taken it away from her. He must've guessed there was something down there earlier when he walked in on her trying to climb down the vines.

Katara traipsed sadly into her bed, lying on top of the covers and waiting until sunrise. She could break out and fight the guards, but what would be the point? She couldn't fight off all the guards in the palace. A small part of her wanted Haru to pay for hurting Iroh. That small part had Katara doubting where her true loyalties lay for over hours, by which time the sun was rising rapidly. If she listened hard enough, the sounds of a heavy drum beating faster and faster and a crowd cheering fought its way into her ears.

The sun dragged itself up and by the time Katara had reached the window, Haru was already dead.

* * *

**A/N:**

**There's a lot of Haru-hating going on amongst the reviewers and some of your comments really made me smile. I guess you guys really like Iroh, huh?**

**So in Britain there was a teacher's strike on Thursday which suited me great because that's mainly when I wrote this chapter. So, in an odd twist, thank teachers for this chapter XD**

**Thank you so much to all of my readers and reviewers, you make me feel happy at times like this. To my reviewers: if you sign your reviews then whatever name you've put is what I'm going to call you from now on when replying to your review (:**

**Leave it to your imaginations how Haru died. I thought that it'd be a firing squad (only with actual fire, not guns) because he's not a Firebender but then I don't really know about capital punishment in the Fire Nation :P**

**Have a great week everyone!**

**- Momo**


	20. Romanticide

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Leave me be and cease to tell me how to feel, to grieve, to shield myself from evil. Leave me be, O.D of lies is killing me. Romanticide. 'Til love do me part._

- Romanticide _by _Nightwish

* * *

Katara pulled away from the window the moment bits of ash began to drift by. Something rose in her throat and she quickly swallowed it back down, covering her mouth in case she was sick. She slowly drew her hand away from her mouth and inhaled deeply, forcing herself to push the air back out steadily. The wind outside seemed as gentle as ever but now it taunted her. It worked with the sun to provide a glorious day outside and help the Fire Nation celebrate yet another death of someone Katara knew. It whispered Haru's last cruel words through the small gaps between the window and the wall, edging in and ensuring that she wouldn't forget the sacrifices that had been made. Soon bright light filled the room and Katara had nowhere left to hide.

Her mind begging to be occupied by something other than the agonizing nothing, Katara walked softly into the bathroom and let the bath fill up with water. She stared at the shimmering ripples as each new drop broke the surface, soon becoming lost in the small ocean. She tried not to wonder what would happen next as she stripped and sank into the welcoming water. She rested her head against the hard tiles of the bath and closed her eyes, her breathing soon becoming equal to the gentle laps of water against her neck. The warm air enveloped her, quietly assuring that she was safe in the water's embrace.

Of course, none of her sanctuaries ever lasted long and soon a knock interrupted her relaxation.

* * *

"I can do this without her help," Zuko muttered through gritted teeth as he all but tore apart the servants' quarters.

"I merely suggested that Lady Katara might know where the antidote is being kept," an advisor offered meekly, following the Prince's rage-fueled actions with his eyes and single outstretched finger that pointed towards the ceiling. He probably thought that he was being helpful but Zuko could do without him. He could do without the fearful glances of the servants that lined the walls of the cramped room. He could do without any of this.

"I don't expect her to be talking to me anytime soon," Zuko growled, reaching under a mattress and flinging it over to the other side of the room. The servants flinched away and Zuko sighed in frustration.

"One of you must know where Haru kept the antidote. You shared a room with him for long enough."

"Your interrogations used to be a lot more forceful," Katara noted, appearing suddenly in the doorway. Her eyes were careful and guarded as she took in the room and the mess.

"I don't have a necklace to bargain with this time," Zuko tried to joke lightly, his mood changing instantly.

"Good." Katara wouldn't look at him. She kept her eyes firmly on the wall of servants.

Zuko turned to glare at the advisor who shrugged uncomfortably.

"I thought she might be able to help," he said in a squeaky voice that he tried to keep quiet.

"All I know is that Haru had an antidote," Katara supplied, turning to the advisor. "I don't know where he kept it."

The advisor blushed at being overheard and didn't say anything else. Katara glanced around the room quickly - managing to avoid Zuko completely - and came to a conclusion. This room, although bigger than the kitchen servants' quarters, didn't hold the antidote. Haru wouldn't keep something so necessary in a place where it could so easily be broken. She voiced this realization, addressing the advisor instead of the Prince.

"Well then where could it be?" Zuko asked, more sharply than he had intended through panic. "My uncle is stubborn, but he won't hold on forever. We need the antidote now!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Katara hissed, acknowledging him for the first time. "Someone I care about is already dead. I won't let Iroh die and allow both deaths to have been in vain."

Zuko scowled and turned back to tearing the room apart. He toppled mattresses over and flung open small cupboard doors.

"That isn't helping!" Katara snapped, as all the servants scattered to avoid being hit by the flying objects.

"Oh no?" Zuko asked, smirking as he straightened up. His hand was clasped around a clear vial filled with liquid. It was identical to the one that Haru had had.

"How do we know that isn't the poison?" Katara asked doubtfully, trying to calm her hopeful heart down.

"How do we know that isn't the antidote?" Zuko retorted, a sure sign that he didn't know how to answer Katara's question.

"It could kill him," Katara murmured, staring at the vial in distrust.

"It could cure him."

"Okay, stop that," Katara scowled. "Do you think any of the healers will be able to identify it?"

Zuko, evidently not knowing the answer to this, turned to the advisor expectantly. He stared back blankly before jumping into action.

"It's possible, Your Highnesses," he answered quickly. "I can go and enquire immediately."

"You go do that," Katara nodded, as Zuko handed the vial to the advisor. "Inform me as soon as you find out, please. I'm going back to my room."

"I'll accompany you," Zuko said as the advisor nodded and scurried out of the room.

"That isn't necessary," Katara replied coldly, turning her back and walking away.

"I want to," Zuko insisted.

Katara turned back to him. She looked at him coolly before glancing at the servants and sighing. "Thanks for your help, you can go back to whatever it was you were doing."

The servants mumbled their assent and scattered, sensing that their masters were about to exchange heated words. Zuko cleared his throat when the last servant had left the room.

"You don't have to go back to your room," he said awkwardly. "There's a Council Meeting I need to attend but then I've got the whole afternoon free."

"I'd rather be by myself right now," Katara muttered as she left the room. That didn't stop Zuko from walking with her.

"I'm sorry I upset you," he said, falling into step with her. "I didn't mean to."

"Didn't mean to upset me or didn't mean to kill my friend?" Katara asked, deadpanned.

"He poisoned my uncle, you should be glad he's dead," Zuko replied quietly as they walked slowly down the empty corridors.

"How can I be glad?" Katara asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked away. "And stop making me choose. I care for both of them. You shouldn't make me feel guilty for wanting them both to live."

They walked in silence, their footsteps echoing along the hallways. If either had been paying attention then they would've noticed that servants turned the other way when they saw the couple coming, allowing them privacy.

"So are we back to square one?" Zuko asked suddenly. He wanted so much to walk closer to Katara, to hold her hand and comfort her. But he kept his cautious distance.

"With us?" Katara asked. She considered the question for a moment. "I still want to hurt you…but then I want to comfort you and make it better."

"It's better than nothing, I suppose," Zuko shrugged, secretly happy that at least Katara didn't hate him completely.

"Is it? I don't want to spend the rest of my life only liking you on some days."

"Liking?" Zuko repeated, his heart skipping a beat.

"Loving," Katara whispered in correction. "But it doesn't change anything. I don't want to be with you right now."

"And if I still want to be with you?"

"You'll have to wait until I can forgive you," Katara murmured. They were approaching her room. "And not do anything stupid in the meantime."

"So…we're on a break?" Zuko asked, not sure if he wanted an answer. He either wanted Katara completely or not at all. To see her everyday and not be able to hold her, kiss her…it would be too much for him to handle. But even as he thought it, he knew it wasn't true. To know that he still had a chance would help him through.

"Call it probation. I need to know that you won't keep going behind my back and making decisions that affect both of us." Katara looked up at him seriously. "Just try. Please."

"I will," Zuko nodded. "But you need to know that I don't regret executing Haru. I did it to protect my country and my family. I heard what he said to you…about poisoning your cup too. I couldn't let him live. Not after that."

"I understand why you did it," Katara whispered. "I hate that you did, but I know you had to."

"Thank you," Zuko said after a pause.

"But you should know that I'll never let you hurt any of my friends like that again." Katara's eyes and voice filled with a sudden resolution. "You're going to stop holding my family's access to the Fire Nation hostage if I don't do what you say. It's got nothing to do with them."

"I can't do that," Zuko muttered, ashamed of himself but not letting it show. "I need assurance that you'll do what I say when it matters."

Katara glared at him and he looked back stolidly.

"You won't change your mind?" she asked.

"Not right now," he answered.

"Then I've got nothing more to say to you." Katara opened her door as she spoke coldly and entered the room when she had finished talking. Changing her mind half-way through closing the door, she looked Zuko in the eyes. "Except that, if need be, I'll fight you to keep my family safe."

Zuko raised his eyebrow. "Challenge accepted."

"I just hope that it won't come to that," Katara told him, shutting the door tightly in his face.

"I hope so too," Zuko muttered, a second too late. He clenched his fist and made to knock on the door and tell Katara what was running through his mind. But he sighed and shook his head. Katara would never understand why it was so important that she do as he said and trying to explain it to her would only cause problems. With a heavy heart and a huge reluctance to go to the latest Council meeting, he walked down the corridor and away from Katara.

* * *

_Challenge accepted…_Katara ran through the words in her mind over and over again as she lay full-clothed on top of her bed. Zuko had sounded as though he thought her warning a joke, as though he'd gladly annoy her just to fight or spar with her again. _I'm looking too deeply into this, _she decided, shaking her head and closing her eyes. She was so tired, having had little or no sleep in the past two nights.

Surely nothing else could go wrong in the next few hours…

If she just lay down her head…

Slowed her breathing…

And fell asleep…

Nothing could disturb her…

And nothing did until the next morning when Katara was awakened by a quiet but forceful knocking on the door. She opened her eyes after a moment, yawned and stretched, feeling more refreshed and awake than she had done in a long time. She'd certainly slept long enough, she realized as she spared a glance towards the window. She had been careless enough to forget to draw the curtains before she went to sleep, but even the sunlight that streamed in hadn't been enough to wake her.

"Lady Katara?" A familiar voice called.

Katara's heart leapt as she ran towards the door and flung it open. Lady Arisu stood there, looking as though she hadn't been banned from seeing Katara and had only seen her the night before.

"Really, Lady Katara," she sniffed in irritation. "Have you forgotten your manners already?"

But even as she said this, her eyes twinkled and her lips lifted up into a smile. She walked gracefully past Katara and into the room, but Katara's eyes remained fixed on the doorway. Or rather, who stood in the doorway.

"Aika!" she grinned, rushing forward and hugging her friend.

"Hey Katara," Aika grinned back, returning the hug.

Katara was too busy leading her newly returned mentor and friend deeper into her room to notice the servants standing uneasily outside.

"So Zuko had a change of heart?" Katara asked Arisu excitedly, glancing to and from the women.

"Something like that," Arisu replied nervously, her eyes flickering to the servant beside her. "Katara, we have some news."

A portly female came bustling in, the most beautiful dress Katara had ever seen draped across her outstretched arms.

"This the bride then?" the woman smiled at Katara in a friendly but respectful way. "Getting ready for your big day, I see!"

Everyone in the room froze. The woman's smile faded as she realized what she had revealed. Katara stared, wide-eyed, at Arisu, shaking her head slowly in horror.

"Arisu…" she whispered. "_Please _tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means."

Arisu bit her lip and wouldn't answer. Katara desperately turned to Aika.

"Congratulations?" Aika tried sheepishly.

Katara closed her eyes briefly and groaned. Zuko was insane if he thought she would marry him today without a fuss. Wordlessly, Katara stormed out of the room. She passed a group of around ten servants who had been hanging around outside her door and down the corridors, her feet slamming into the ground as she furiously made her way towards Zuko's room. Upon finding it locked when she reached it, she hammered on the door.

Zuko opened it, looking amused and shirtless.

"There she is, my blushing bride," he smirked. He had his own servants preparing his clothes and they all looked up in interest when Katara hissed:

"Do I look blushing to you? You couldn't go a single day without violating the probation…this definitely constitutes as doing something stupid!" Her eyes wandered to his bare chest and lingered there for a moment. "And put a shirt on!"

"We're not married yet, stop bossing me about," Zuko scowled, putting a hand on Katara's shoulder and pushing her back out of the doorway gently. He closed the door and frowned down at his future wife.

"Something's come up. We need to be married as soon as possible."

"I know this is supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but this is ridiculous!" Katara complained. "I won't marry you today."

"You will," Zuko promised, something flashing in his golden eyes. "I promise you."

"Than it's a good job that your promises never amount to anything," Katara answered, not shaken by Zuko's underlying threat. "Now call the wedding off and let me get back to sleep."

"No," Zuko replied icily. "The sooner we wed, the better. The better for us and for the rest of the world."

"The rest of the world can wait a few months," Katara growled. "I'm not going to marry you today."

Zuko's eyes flashed dangerously again and his fists clenched. An angry vein ran up his arm, popping up in his fury. He scowled and breathed in deeply, possibly to make sure he didn't lose his temper. Thin veils of steam appeared as he breathed out again.

"You seem to think that I need your consent to marry you," he said coldly. "I don't. Now you can go back to your room, get ready and meet me in the throne room in two hours, or you can wait for me to drag you there."

Katara frowned at him, too angry and fearful to say anything.

"We love each other," Zuko continued, his words directly contrasting his harsh, threatening tone. "And we're getting married today. If you do anything to jeopardize that then I'll have to give the Royal Navy a letter and inform them of several new names added to the list of undesirables."

He had Katara there, and they both knew it. Katara would do anything for her family…and if marrying Zuko sooner rather than later would keep them safe then she'd do it.

"I really hate you sometimes," she muttered, not daring to raise her voice in case it trembled. With one last dirty look, she turned on her heel and flounced back down the corridor.

"Don't forget, you sleep in my room from now on!" Zuko called after her.

"Not likely," Katara growled lowly but didn't stop walking. Everything had happened so quickly…was she really getting married in a couple of hours? She wasn't ready. And yet, as she arrived back in her room, she stood there like a mannequin and allowed the woman - a dressmaker, it turned out - to smooth the dress out. It really was a masterpiece and Zuko must have paid a lot of money for it. The crimson boned bodice rested snugly just above her breasts and pinched her waist in. It's black, lace-covered guard flowed seamlessly into the long skirt that was the bottom of the dress. The skirt was also blood red with a black underskirt that showed when she walked. Although the dress was perfect, the shoes were a little less than sensible: black with a heel that Katara had no chance in walking in for a lengthy period of time.

From time to time, she noticed Aika and Arisu watching her nervously and then exchanging cautious glances. But Katara remained silently on the stool that the dressmaker had provided until the woman had done with her. Then a flurry of servants came in to do Katara's hair and makeup. It took almost two hours - around the time that Zuko had said - and by the end of it, Katara didn't recognize herself as she stared into the mirror. Her cerulean eyes had been outlined in charcoal black, giving them a sultry, smoky effect that didn't suit her. Her lips had been painted a deep red, her cheeks powdered with something that made her cheeks glow. Katara felt that if she were to smile, all the makeup would crack. Luckily, she didn't feel like smiling. The only evidence that she was from the Water Tribe was her azure eyes and her mother's necklace, resting gently against her collarbones.

"You look beautiful," Arisu smiled. Katara swore to the spirits that her mentor had wiped away a tear when she said this.

"I look…different," Katara whispered, touching her necklace in reassurance.

"In a beautiful way," Aika grinned, appearing behind Katara in the mirror. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"I don't want to get married," Katara said suddenly, turning around with childish, wide eyes and talking to her friend and mentor.

Aika laughed softly. "I said I didn't want to give birth to Kuzon, do you remember? The pain was so bad…but after it was over I got the best gift I could ever have hoped to get. There's light at the end of the tunnel."

"This damn tunnel has lasted for three years," Katara disagreed. "The light's taking it's time to get here."

"You have to go to the light…the light doesn't come to you," Arisu smiled. "Now come on. I will accompany you to the throne room. I'll teach you your vows along the way."

"…Vows?" Katara repeated blankly. "I have to take vows?"

"Perhaps we should've gone over this earlier," Arisu murmured worriedly to the dressmaker and Aika.

"I told you I wasn't ready," Katara sighed, fingering the hair that dropped down the side of her face. The hair usually reserved for hair loopies had been scraped back and tied with a ruby encrusted clip and the rest had been left down. "What chance is there that I can just go back to sleep?"

"Very little," Arisu replied, coaxing Katara up. "Now come along."

Katara allowed herself to be gently pulled up and led out of the room. With each step she took, her heart began to pound faster. This was insane. She couldn't be getting married. Her throat became dry and she could only nod mutely when Arisu began speaking.

"You don't have to say much in the ceremony," Arisu began.

_Good, I can't say anything anyway with a throat this dry,_ Katara thought, trying to inject humor into the dire situation. She was doing this for her family and not for whatever problem Zuko insisted had now come up.

"The Fire Sage will bless your union and you must agree to whatever he says. Answer whatever he says will 'I will' or 'I do'. Do you understand?"

"I do." Katara laughed nervously. "See, I'm doing it already."

"There really is no need to be scared," Arisu said gently as she guided Katara down the corridors. "Prince Zuko will make a good husband."

Katara kept silent for a moment, deliberating whether or not to tell Arisu what Zuko had said earlier. She decided not to. No point in shattering two people's hopes in one day.

"I just wish my mom was here," Katara whispered truthfully, her voice catching at the end.

"I'm very sorry that she can't be," Arisu murmured sincerely. "But soon you'll have a whole new family."

Katara dwelled on this until her traitorous feet carried her to the throne room. She stared up at the doors. It was the cruelest of ironies that her wedding would take place here. Her heeled shoes seemed to be stuck to the ground as all the courage in her quickly slipped away. She didn't want to get married. She wasn't ready. She shouldn't have to.

"The ceremony is very private. It will only be you, Prince Zuko and the Fire Sage. Straight after, Prince Zuko will be named Fire Lord. However, an official crowning service will not take place for another few days. There will be a celebratory feast and then you will both appear in front of the Fire Nation for the first time as Fire Lord and Lady." Arisu sighed. "It will be a very long day filled with meeting and greeting endless nobles. However…perhaps tonight you and the Prince can put your differences aside and-"

"Please don't finish that sentence," Katara murmured, only half paying attention.

"As you wish," Arisu laughed quietly. "You've come a very long way since I first met you. I'm proud of the woman you've become."

Katara weakly returned Arisu's smile before gingerly pushing open the throne room door and heading into the room. Flaming torches had been added to each of the pillars, throwing the room into beautiful, mysterious shadows. Katara could make out the figure of a willowy man standing on the throne and another standing just below him. Gulping and taking in a shuddering breath, she walked forward slowly and joined the Fire Sage and Zuko. Her footsteps echoed on the tiled floor and her nervousness did not decrease with both men watching her walk towards them. Zuko was dressed in traditional Fire Nation ceremonial wear. His outer robe of black and crimson fell to the floor and, in an odd way, matched her dress. The Fire Sage was also dressed in blood red robes.

"You look beautiful," Zuko murmured as Katara came to a stop next to him.

"Let's just get this over with," she scowled, not looking at him. She would not forgive him for his words before.

"Kneel," the Fire Sage instructed. He was elderly and his voice was more a croak than anything else. Katara got down on her knees carefully, not wanting to crease her dress. The fact that she was worried about messing up her dress made her smile slightly. "You are Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, son of Ozai, deceased, and Ursa?"

"I am," Zuko nodded, his voice serious. His head was down and Katara hurried to copy him.

"You are Lady Katara of the Water Tribe, daughter of Hakoda and Kya, deceased?"

"I am," Katara answered. This question only served to remind her that she was alone on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.

"The spirits have brought you together on the path of destiny and we ask for their blessings on this union," the Fire Sage continued. "We ask that you may walk together on the path and, though you may occasionally stray, your love bind you closer for it."

Katara glanced sideways at Zuko, only to find him looking at her. She quickly focused her eyes downwards although she couldn't deny that the Fire Sage's words hadn't gotten to her and made her think.

"Prince Zuko, with this marriage you inherit the throne. Will you be a strong leader to your people when they need you?"

"I will."

"Will you risk all to grant your country freedom?"

"I will."

"Do you forsake all others aside from Katara and pledge your eternal loyalty to your throne and country?"

"I do."

"Lady Katara, with this marriage you wed not only Prince Zuko, but the whole Fire Nation. Will you obey the wishes of your husband and leader at all times?"

"I will." The words stuck like gristle in her throat.

"Will you be a loving and caring mother to his children?"

"I will."

"Do you forsake all others aside from Zuko and pledge eternal loyalty to the Fire Nation?"

Katara squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "I do," she whispered. _For my family._

"Then I deem you worthy for each other and to rule the Fire Nation." The Fire Sage lightly stepped down from the raised throne platform and knelt in front of Zuko and Katara. "Please join your palms together."

Zuko raised the hand nearest to Katara with his palm facing inwards. Katara did the same and slowly the two hands met. Katara's hand seemed so small next to Zuko's. The Fire Sage drew a long piece of silk from an inside pocket of his robes and tied it around the couple's wrists, binding them together.

"Your marriage entwines your hearts forever and not death, illness or betrayal shall ever separate the cord."

Zuko lifted his head and looked at Katara. She looked back sadly. It was a good thing that betrayal would never 'separate the cord' otherwise they'd have to get married repeatedly.

"I will protect you with my life," Zuko said suddenly, his deep voice soothing compared to that of the Fire Sage's. He looked deeply into Katara's eyes and she couldn't help but gaze back. "I will never forsake you or harm you. I will stay with you forever and love you for even longer."

Katara smiled softly at his promises, so beautifully put. She was completely lost in the moment and improvised her own vows, spoken with truth and love. "Where others desert you, I will remain. I will forgive you if you fault. I will trust you and love you with my last breath."

"You may rise," the Fire Sage said after a moment. Zuko and Katara stood up in unison. The Fire Sage smiled in the dim light before bowing deeply. "Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara. May your marriage and reign last for many years."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Right, so I had to cut this short because I was supposed to be off the computer two hours ago and anything that I wrote after that point you just read was utter rubbish. I'll either add the rest to the next chapter or re-upload this one at a later date. The thing is, I've got exams starting this week and I won't be able to update for awhile. You can tell that I'm in a rush because I haven't used a single smiley face up to this point. Please don't flame me for the quality of this chapter, if you have any constructive criticism then feel free to tell me, but don't send any insults and make my week more stressful than it's already going to be.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (: Personally, it sucked, but that's just me being all moody with myself.**

**Anything that hasn't been explained here will be explained next chapter (which will be better!) don't worry. Also, Iroh Update next chapter.**

**Don't know where all the semi-romantic stuff came from…I've been listening to Nightwish too much I guess XD Seeing as it's the wedding chapter I figured I should put in some Zutara, however seemingly random.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers!**

**Have a great week (have a better week than I'll have, at any rate)!**

**- Momo**


	21. Collide

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_I'm open, you're closed. Where I'll follow, you'll go. I worry I won't see your face light up again. Even the best fall down sometimes, even the wrong words seem to rhyme. Out of the doubt that fills my mind, I somehow find…you and I collide._

­ - Collide _by _Howie Day

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"I got you something," Zuko murmured to Katara, glancing meaningfully at the Fire Sage as he spoke. The Fire Sage immediately withdrew something out of his robes and handed it to Zuko who kept it hidden inside his fist. "I know that it couldn't replace the one you've got, but…" He unclenched his fist to reveal an azure pendent with the Fire Nation symbol carved into it. "I know that you're supposed to get one as an engagement thing but when we got engaged…" he grinned sheepishly, "you kind of hated me."

"You made this yourself?" Katara whispered in awe, staring down at the pendent. She stretched out a finger and softly stroked the smooth stone.

"I can make another one," Zuko assured quickly. "I know this isn't exactly the best quality but-"

"It's perfect," Katara breathed, slowly lifting her eyes up to Zuko and smiling. "Thank you."

The couple had inadvertently moved closer. Zuko leant his head in closer but Katara drew back slightly, indicating the pendent in his hand. Zuko, understanding what she meant, carefully reached behind Katara's neck and undid the delicate clasp to her necklace. The silk tickled Katara's neck as Zuko slid it away. He unhooked the original pendent and replaced it with the new one before gently fastening the revamped necklace back around her neck.

"I love you," Zuko murmured, smiling at the new necklace and how it suited his bride.

"I love you too," Katara answered, reaching up and caressing his cheek softly.

Zuko wrapped his arm around Katara's waist and gently moved her closer to him. They kissed: their first kiss as husband and wife. And now things were different. There was no tension in their meeting lips, no worry or doubt. There was only love, happiness and hope for the future.

"Does this mean that I'm off probation?" Zuko teased lightly and the couple broke apart slightly.

"I'll think about it," Katara replied with a laugh as Zuko handed her the original pendent from her necklace. "You've still got a lot to make up for. Like suddenly springing on me that we're getting married. What was the rush anyway?"

Zuko's face hardened suddenly, his grip becoming tighter. "We'll talk about it later. I don't want to ruin this day."

"O-okay," Katara stammered, shocked by this sudden change in attitude. "But I don't want to start our marriage off with secrets."

"You vowed that you'd trust me," Zuko pointed out, an edge to his smile.

"And I do," Katara answered, her smile slowly slipping. "I just don't want there to be secrets and lies between us anymore."

"We'll talk about it later," Zuko promised, a tone of finality ringing in his voice. "But right now I want to parade you in front of a bunch of old nobles and call you my wife. You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that for."

Katara smiled weakly in reply but inside doubt raged. Her uncertainty must've shown on her face because Zuko kissed her again softly.

"Don't worry," he murmured. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

She nodded once and allowed him to take her hand and guide her from the throne room. She was careful to keep her eyes straight ahead in case any unwanted flashbacks suddenly sprang out at her. The throne room doors opened to a small crowd who cheered as the teenagers exited the room.

"Congratulations!" Arisu called, appearing in the crowd and beaming. She patted Katara's shoulder maternally and continued spouting her well-wishes and hopes for the couple. If she noticed that Katara's answering smile wasn't as bright as it normally was, she didn't comment on it.

"Thank you," she replied weakly to each of the nobles, unsure if they heard her seeing as they were so busy talking to Zuko.

The next two hours passed agonizingly slow. There was a feast to celebrate the new (unofficial) Fire Lord and Lady which was excellent as usual, but Katara felt as though she had to force down mouthfuls after the first few bites. She sat in her usual place at the table, although now Zuko sat in Iroh's place. The dining table, Katara soon noticed, was full for the first time. She wasn't engaged in much conversation by the male nobles and anything she contributed was quickly commented on and then ignored. After trying unsuccessfully to join in a debate about the Water Tribe customs being outdated, Katara focused instead on the guests. Some faces she recognized, such as those of Admiral and Lady Hai - the latter of which was consuming wine at a rapid pace - and the Ye brothers. Zhen Ye caught her eye and quickly looked away. This amused Katara, but the feeling of sadness overtook her soon after. Half of these people she didn't know, the other half she didn't particularly like. She would give anything for the table to be filled with her friends and family, the people who should be congratulating her. Their words wouldn't be hollow and forced, the way some of the guests' words were.

After the feast there was dancing. Everyone looked to the top of the table expectantly and Katara realized that she and Zuko were expected to lead the first dance.

"Don't look so nervous, it's not an execution," Zuko smiled quietly as he took Katara's hand and led her to the large expanse of shiny tiled floor.

Katara winced at his choice of words and remained silent. A chorus of instruments started up suddenly and Katara noticed a small group of men and women playing their music softly. A crowd gathered around the couple. Each bowed or curtsied to the other, then they began the dance. It wasn't a difficult dance by any means; Katara had been taught it in a matter of minutes in one of her lessons. Still she couldn't afford her mind to wander as she gracefully swayed around the section of room. Soon enough other couples joined them and Katara stopped feeling so self-conscious.

"What's wrong?" Zuko frowned as the song played its last notes.

"I'm just hot," Katara lied, curtsying once more as the dance finished. Zuko bowed back suspiciously, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to decipher what was wrong.

"I'm going to talk to Arisu…maybe greet a few people," Katara told him, raising her voice slightly over the chattering nobles. Before Zuko could say or do anything, she had slipped away and into the crowd. He was immediately immersed in a swarm of people, all eager to pass on their congratulations before the next dance started.

_I need air, _Katara thought, weaving through the crowds and barely stopping to acknowledge the people who called out to her. _Or at least space._

Seeing as though it didn't appear that she would get any privacy in the bustle of the dining hall, she surreptitiously slipped out, shutting the door quietly behind her - although, judging by the din, no one would've noticed if she'd slammed it shut. The cool, quietness of the hallway quickly embraced her and she closed her eyes with a sigh. Her pounding head stopped raging as she slowly sank down against the wall opposite the dining hall doors.

A million thoughts whirred angrily in her mind, colliding and thrashing about. She loved Zuko, that much she was sure of. But how was their marriage supposed to work when it was based upon lies? An old saying sprang to mind suddenly:

_Love built on sand will sink and leave no survivors._

This was exactly the type of thought that she _didn't _need right now; they only added to her worry and doubt. The rosy glow of the beautiful wedding ceremony was beginning to fade, leaving a cold, gray sensation in its place. Despite her words back in the throne room, Katara couldn't easily forgive and forget Zuko's actions earlier in the day. He had been so cold and threatening…and then he'd dismissed her desire to talk about why they had gotten married so quickly. Opening her weary eyes slowly, she began to chew on her bottom lip. What if Zuko went back to his obsessive 'I don't want you to leave so I'll be an idiot and completely isolate you' phase? He hadn't acted on his threat to ban her family from the Fire Nation but hadn't taken it away either. What if he used the threat to make her do something she really didn't want to do? No…he wouldn't do that. Or would he?

She scowled and pressed her wrists tightly against her head in an attempt to stop the endless questions. Her knees huddled against her chest and she didn't care if it damaged her dress in any way.

The door banged open suddenly and Katara jumped, smacking her head on the wall she leant on. Arisu appeared in the doorway, looking slightly worse for wear but happy.

"Katara!" she beamed. "I'm so happy for you and Zuko. I know that you'll make a beautiful couple and have beautiful children and be beautiful for the rest of your lives!"

Katara concluded that the woman had been drinking. She raised her eyebrows and heaved herself off the floor.

"Arisu, are you okay?" she asked skeptically. "You seem a little…drunk."

Arisu giggled, leaning against the doorway for support. "I think I am!" she whispered conspiratorially.

"Okay," Katara sighed, walking the short distance over to her mentor. "Let's get you back inside. There's a nice jug of water with your name on it."

Luckily, Arisu wasn't the only less-than-sober person in the room. Katara raised her eyebrows as she navigated through the crowds, many of whom were swaying slightly…and not just through dancing.

"Here's a chair, Arisu," Katara murmured, letting go of the woman's hand and gently sitting her down onto a dining chair. She reached across for a water jug and carefully passed it down. "And here's the water I promised. I'm going to find Zuko, so just stay there and I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"Okay," Arisu nodded sluggishly, her eyes a little out of focus. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

"It's fine," Katara assured. "It's actually pretty funny."

She walked away, smiling sadly as she remembered Sokka's cactus juice trip. Although it was irritating at the time, it was now one of her favorite memories. The music seemed to have stopped for the moment, as groups of chatting people milled about the spectacular room. Katara scanned them, looking for a particular raven-haired Prince - or was it Fire Lord now? - to talk to. She quickly spotted his head above the crowd and made her way towards him. He stood in a group of young men around his age.

"Your wife should be very fulfilling for you," smirked one noble's son. "If you don't mind me saying, Your Majesty."

They obviously hadn't seen Katara approach yet. She stood, frozen with horror and disgust as they continued to talk about her as an object.

"Despite being from the Water Tribe, she's certainly fiery," agreed another, taking a large draught from his near-empty wine glass.

"She's that," Zuko agreed, and the group clinked their glasses together smugly. "I'm looking forward to the challenge."

"Challenge?" one man repeated scornfully. "From what I've heard about the Water Tribe women, they don't hold out for long in the bedroom…she's probably dying for it."

"Hey, if _I _can wait, so can she," Zuko replied with a smirk.

Katara's stomach dropped and her mouth fell open slightly. Coldness washed over her. Half of her wanted to smack Zuko into next week - show him that Water Tribe women weren't just good in the bedroom - while the other half just wanted to sit in a corner and cry. However, before Katara could do any of these, one of the group spotted her. His eyes went wide with guilt. The others followed the direction of his gaze and mirrored his actions. Zuko was the last to turn around, the ghost of a smirk still on his face. Just like the others, his golden eyes went wide and his mouth opened in horror.

"Katara…" he mumbled.

"You're such a jerk," she hissed. It wasn't the best insult she had ever given but it would do for the moment. She turned on her heel and stormed away angrily, retracing her earlier steps and ending up back in the silent hallway. She leant against the wall again, her breaths coming out as shudders as she tried valiantly not to cry. She wrapped her arms around her waist and tried to calm her shaking body. The sudden chill of the corridor made the hair on her arms prick up.

"I'm so sorry," came a hushed voice. Katara looked up as Zuko slid out of the dining hall, closing the door behind him as he went. The rush of noise from the hall ceased as the door shut, leaving the teenaged couple in silence.

"Is that really how you see me?" Katara demanded angrily, striding forward to meet Zuko. "You think that old saying is really how a wife should be? A maid in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom?"

"Of course not," Zuko said, his brow creasing as he frowned. "I respect you."

"Like hell!" Katara exploded, her voice reaching practically screaming volume. Zuko flinched back as she started towards him furiously. "Talking about me behind my back like that isn't respectful, especially when it's about what you were saying!"

"Nobles like that have certain expectations of me," Zuko said carefully, watching for Katara's reaction. "And I need them on my side. I'm not technically Fire Lord yet and until the time that I am, I need them on my side. I have to be careful."

"And you have to treat me like I'm worthless?" Katara asked, her voice cracking on the last word. She took a few steps back as Zuko tried to put a consoling hand on her shoulder. She stared at him as he struggled for an answer. "Do I even know you?"

"You love me," Zuko answered, but it sounded more like a plea. "You vowed to-"

"You vowed to forsake all others!" Katara cut across sharply. "Apparently swearing an oath in front of a Fire Sage won't even make you keep your promises."

She pressed her lips together tightly and looked away. Maybe things would be better in the morning.

"I'm going to bed," she announced wearily, turning away.

"You can't," Zuko called after her.

"I can't?" Katara repeated, stopping and raising her eyebrows. "I think you'll find I can."

"We have to make an appearance in front of the Fire Nation citizens first," Zuko sighed, as though this was all some big bother. Katara bet that he loved the attention really. "Our first as husband and wife."

"And last, the rate it's going," Katara muttered darkly. She turned and said, in a louder voice, "And if I don't want to go?"

Zuko sighed in frustration. "It'd just be easier if you did. We can go to bed afterwards."

"Because you're just _desperate _to get me there, right?" Katara asked acidly.

"That isn't what I meant," Zuko said quickly, turning a delicate shade of pink.

Katara, after a moment of glaring, sighed and walked slowly back over to Zuko. What ever would get this day over with quicker.

In silence they passed down the halls, Zuko throwing cautious sideways glances to Katara as though she would run off when his back was turned. In truth, Katara was thinking about the opposite. She wanted to hurt Zuko. She wanted him to feel like she did, wanted him to know what he'd put her through. She wanted to fight him.

"Are you training tomorrow?" she asked abruptly, her steely eyes focused ahead.

"Yes," Zuko replied, caught off by the sudden question.

"I'm joining you," Katara informed him.

Zuko sighed. "No, you're not."

"Want to bet?" Katara asked in surprise, not expecting that answer from him.

"I'd like for us to train together, but I know that you only want to because you think you'll get to use it as a chance to fight me," Zuko explained, reading Katara's mind perfectly. "When you've calmed down then you're welcome to join me."

"Am I that easy to read?" Katara muttered.

"No, I just know you too well," Zuko answered with a sad smile. "I just wish that you knew me well enough to be able to tell when I need to act like something I'm not to secure loyalty."

Katara didn't answer. Soon enough, the couple reached a wing of the palace that Katara had never been in before. It was beautifully decorated with paintings and sculptures made from the purest white marble. The carpeted floors were so soft that Katara felt she could sleep on them and even the walls seemed more superior than anywhere else in the palace. Zuko led her to the end of the corridor, where a hugely wide staircase, also made of sparkling marble, sprawled.

"I've not been here often," Zuko said in hushed tones. "Only a couple of times when I was a child, with Azula after Ba Sing Se fell and after the Avatar's…" He cut himself off quickly.

"What is it?" Katara asked, pointedly ignoring Zuko's unfinished list.

"You'll see," Zuko promised as they began climbing the stairs. The banister gleamed to perfection and the crimson material that fell down the middle of the steps didn't hold a speck of dirt. Distant voices echoed from the top of the stairs and Katara found that she was nervous. Zuko glanced at her. "You should hold my hand when we reach the top."

"Fine," Katara agreed darkly. "No need to let the Fire Nation know that our marriage is in trouble already."

"Our marriage isn't in trouble," Zuko replied with a roll of his eyes. "You just need to take everything I say with a pinch of salt when I'm around nobles my age."

By this time they had reached the last step. Katara stared up at what stood before them in confusion as Zuko took her hand.

"It's…a giant door," she noted. "Is there a particular reason for the giant door?"

"It's what's _behind _the door that counts," Zuko told her, chuckling slightly at her tone. "Crowds don't scare you, do they?"

Katara suddenly realized the cause of the echoing voices that had gotten louder as they reached the top of the stairs, but before she got a chance to object, the dark wooden door opened before them.

"Prince Zuko and Princess Katara!" the voice announced, and Zuko suddenly walked forward swiftly, all but dragging Katara with him.

The abrupt yet dying sunlight made Katara squint as she stepped onto what appeared to be a giant stone balcony. She glanced either side of her and saw Li and Lo bent over in a deep bow. The sound of crowds cheering rose up to the balcony, which she guessed must be many, many feet high. Her stomach dropped rapidly as Zuko came to a stop just at the edge of the balcony. What seemed to be hundreds of cheering people stood below her, some scurrying like insects in their bid to see the future rulers married for the first time. All of their eyes were on her, scrutinizing, criticizing, deciding whether or not they liked her in just a split second. Zuko's arm was around her waist and he drew her closer to him. Katara looked up at him, stunned that he was taking this so well, to see that he had lifted his chin, drawn his shoulders back and puffed his chest out slightly. On anyone else, this would look ridiculous but on Zuko it was oddly endearing.

"Look at them," he suddenly said, not taking his eyes of the scores of people beneath him. "Connect with them."

Katara dragged her eyes out to the screaming crowds and swept over them. After doing this once, she felt foolish.

"Can I smile?" she asked, only half-joking.

Zuko's gaze flickered down to her and his lips turned up. "If you so desire."

His dry tone made Katara laugh slightly; she had to remind herself that she was still furious with him.

"Actually, only smile a little," Zuko corrected himself, more serious now that his focus was back on the crowds. "Show that that you're gentle but powerful. Look at them like a mother looks at her newborn." Katara tried this and Zuko nodded approvingly. "These are your people now and-"

"The Water Tribe are my people," Katara interrupted, quickly turning her head to his. "Nothing's changed."

"Everything's changed," Zuko disagreed, sparing her a glance. "You pledged your loyalty to the Fire Nation and that became effective the moment you married me."

"Well…no," was all Katara could come up with. She surveyed the crowds beneath her in horror. "I'm from the Water Tribe and you're from the Fire Nation. That's not going to change." She sighed quietly. "Although I'm beginning to see why the two don't mix."

"You don't mean that," Zuko murmured, his soft voice barely audible above the crowd that was beginning to quiet down. "I'll be talking pretty loudly but try not to flinch away."

"What?"

"Fire Nation Citizens!" Zuko shouted, his voice echoing across the courtyards. Katara resisted the strong urge to put her hands over her ears. "Today marks a new day in our history. It is the day of unity for the Fire Nation and Water Tribe! Soon I will become your Fire Lord and my wife the Fire Lady and I promise you, my era will surpass that of my predecessors!"

The crowds cheered wildly, caught up in the moment rather than actually agreeing or listening to what the Prince was saying.

"With my new family as your monarchs, the Fire Nation economy will prosper, poverty will be abolished and we will regain pride in our great nation!"

As the crowds cheered again, Zuko nudged Katara gently, silently informing her that it was her turn to speak. The crowds quietened down and Katara cleared her throat.

"As your Fire Lady I will take…pride in this country," she started off, her eyes shining with sadness that no one but Zuko could see. "I will honor and defend you and fight for you as hard as I would for…" she faltered for a moment but continued, "for the Water Tribe."

The crowds erupted again as Katara's heart sank. Maybe she really _was _a traitor, as Haru had suggested. Swearing that she would fight for the nation that ruined her life definitely wasn't patriotic. She listened to the rest of Zuko's speech in a stunned daze, horrified as what she had sacrificed began to really sink in. When the collective crowd cheered for the final time, Katara allowed Zuko to take her arm gently and lead her out of the spotlight. The sun had gone down during the speeches and the air was beginning to grow colder.

"Is something wrong?" Zuko asked with a worried frown as he stepped down the marble staircase.

"I'm fine," Katara replied faintly. How could she have forsaken the Water Tribe so easily? She had been born and raised there, she had fought for it at the North Pole, been prepared to die for it on the Day of Black Sun. And now she was to turn her back on it like it meant nothing to her? The only reason she had married Zuko - initially, anyway - was to save her nation. And although the Water Tribe/Fire Nation pact was now active, what if the Fire Nation suddenly decided to attack? What would she do then? She'd be bound by her vows to protect the Fire Nation but she would never attack her homeland and nobody would make her.

"Seriously, what's the matter?" Zuko asked, slowing his walk so they could talk without strain. "And don't bother lying. You're not very good and it's uncomfortable to hear."

Katara looked up at his gently smiling face, unable to lure a smile to her own lips.

"What have I done?" she finally settled on whispering. Her legs shook with every step that echoed on the now tiled floor.

"You mean your speech?" Zuko asked, clueless. "It was great. We'll make a public speaker out of you yet."

"I've completely abandoned the Water Tribe," Katara murmured, ignoring Zuko's attempted joke.

"Oh." Zuko looked uncomfortable. "You haven't _abandoned _it, you just…"

"Are completely loyal to another nation?" Katara finished off. "It's kind of the same thing."

Zuko sighed heavily. He knew the pain of not being able to serve his country. He had had to chase down and kill the Avatar to get that right back. He just hoped that Katara wouldn't have to do anything remotely the same.

"It's not like you can't ever go back," he tried helplessly. "Once you're settled in and…and we've started a family."

The only sound following that awkward sentence were their footsteps and the far off indistinguishable background noise. Katara was too wrapped up in her troubles to even object to what Zuko had said, while Zuko was waiting for Katara to agree or violently disagree to his words. They walked in silence until they neared Zuko's room.

"Say something," Zuko said in frustration. "I don't like it when you're quiet."

"You know that I'm not ready, right?" Katara asked quietly, avoiding the underlying question in Zuko's tone and instead talking about something else. She didn't dare look up, too embarrassed to do anything other than burn a hole in the tiled floor with her eyes.

"Not ready…?" Zuko asked, frowning. Then it dawned on him and his eyes widened with comprehension. "Oh right. No, that-that's fine. Whenever you're ready. Which isn't now. Which is fine."

Katara almost smiled at how much more uncomfortable Zuko made the situation. "It isn't that I don't love you," she assured him. "I just want to get my head together first. Also, I'm still pretty mad at you."

"Considering the amount of times I mess up, I'm sure that's how you'll feel for the next few decades," Zuko smiled, his embarrassment slowly ebbing away. "But the servants will have a field day. They love to gossip."

"How will they know?" Katara asked, slightly worried that the servants apparently knew the ins and outs of everyone's private lives.

"I don't know," Zuko frowned. "It's kind of creepy, isn't it? But they always seem to have the details."

"Well unless you publicly proclaim it at your next speech thing then I doubt anyone besides us will know," Katara joked, trying to inject a little humor into a situation that she wasn't comfortable talking about.

"Well there goes my main topic," Zuko joked right back.

They had reached his bedroom at this point. Both looked up at the door uncomfortably.

"It's a good job that I'm tired, otherwise I'll give you hell for taking my room away from me," Katara informed Zuko, serious now. "Maybe tomorrow."

"I think all your clothes and things have been moved here. Should I wait outside while you change or…?"

"I'll just get changed in the bathroom," Katara shrugged. She glanced at him. "You don't have an overwhelming desire to carry me across the threshold, do you?"

"You really think I'm that romantic?" Zuko asked, a smile playing on his lips and his eyebrow raised.

Katara laughed. "True."

Zuko, still smiling, pushed the door open and promptly froze. His room had been scattered with beautiful red roses and the occasional golden colored candle. The curtains had been drawn, casting the room into a sensual, shadowy light. Rose petals had been thrown around the bed.

Zuko and Katara stood there, both gaping at the room. Neither could seem to find their voices.

"So…I'm going to get changed," Katara eventually said.

"Yeah, you do that," Zuko nodded.

"Are my clothes in the wardrobe or…?"

"I'm guessing so."

"Okay."

Katara stepped into the room, careful not to squash any of the roses or knock over any of the candles. She heard Zuko behind her, seemingly trying not to do the same. She passed the bed, her eyes catching on something. She stopped dead and picked up the slinky nightdress. It was an azure blue and left little to the imagination.

"I think you'll be cold in that," Zuko said doubtfully.

"I think I'll be embarrassed in that," Katara corrected. "But it was thoughtful for someone to leave it here."

"Yeah," Zuko agreed quickly, not wanting to seem ungrateful. "It's a nice color."

"And the material is…really nice," Katara added, poking the flimsy lace. She carried it over to the wardrobe and opened the doors. Thanking all the Gods that she could think of, she scanned her normal clothes and quickly pulled out the plainest nightwear that she could find. "I'll just put this on."

She fled into the bathroom and closed the door sharply, her face feeling as though it were on fire. She placed her cool palm on her forehead, closed her eyes and sighed. Today was not going very well. She quickly stripped in the unfamiliar bathroom and pulled her nightdress over her head. It hung loosely and she sighed in relief. She ran the water tap and splashed her face several times, trying to get off the makeup that had been piled on her cheeks and eyes. After a few minutes of intense scrubbing, she managed to get the majority of it off, according to the steamed up mirror hanging over the sink. She took a deep, calming breath and opened the door.

"I thought girls taking forever in the bathroom was just a myth," Zuko smiled. "I was beginning to think that you'd drowned."

Katara smiled back, walking over to the wardrobe and hanging back up the dress that she had just taken off.

"It's a beautiful dress," she said as she walked over to the bed, indicating the wardrobe.

"You think?" Zuko asked, looking up from the rose-strewn bedspread and smiling. "I added some elements from what my mother showed me of her dress." He paused. "My masculinity has just gone drastically down in your eyes, hasn't it?"

"A little," Katara admitted with a laugh, sitting down on the bed. It was more springy than she had expected. "Anyway, I should…"

"Yeah," Zuko nodded, copying Katara and pulling back the covers. Rose petals showered the already covered floor. "Goodnight."

"Night," Katara answered with an uneasy smile as she moved into a lying position. She could feel Zuko's weight next to her and turned over onto one side, facing away from him. He slowly dimmed the candles with his Firebending until the room was completely dark.

Soon, in the black silence, Zuko's breathing became level as he drifted off to sleep. Katara's thoughts were forced back to her abandonment of the Water Tribe. It was odd, but after all the betrayals she had suffered, the one she committed against herself hurt the most.

* * *

When Katara opened her bleary eyes the next morning after an awful night of sleep, Zuko had already gone. She was glad; she wouldn't have to make awkward small talk and at least this way she didn't have to get dressed in the bathroom. She took her time with her morning bathe, allowing the warm, steamy water to soak her body completely before she even considered moving from the tub. This bathroom was decidedly bigger than that of her old bedroom, and she considered this a perk. After gently scrubbing all over, she stepped onto the tiles, cloudy with condensation, and wrapped a spare towel around herself. Not finding the patience to let her hair dry naturally, she Waterbended all moisture from it and released it back into the bath. She then unlocked the bathroom door and let her feet sink into the cushy carpet of the main room.

"What to wear?" she mused to herself, stepping over to the wardrobe and rifling through her clothes. "I suppose anything will look like rags after what I wore yesterday. Better stick with comfort."

She pulled out one of her favorite outfits - the one that resembled what she had wore during her first trip to the Fire Nation all those years ago - and dressed herself, checking the mirror to see if she looked acceptable. The second she became decent, the door opened. She looked up, startled.

"Lady Katara!" a servant gasped, almost dropping the spare sheets she carried in bundles in her arms. "I'm so sorry! The Prince is usually gone by now and I-"

"It's fine," Katara smiled, raising a hand to cut the hysterical woman off. "Really. I was just leaving anyway."

"Please don't let me rush you," the woman said frantically, bowing deeply as an afterthought. Katara noticed that two more servant women stood awkwardly behind the first.

"You aren't," Katara assured. "But If you changed the sheets yesterday then they won't need changing already."

"They won't?" the servant woman repeated with a dubious expression. "Will you allow me to check?"

"Uh, sure," Katara agreed in confusion. She made an awkward waving gesture towards the unmade bed. "Go ahead."

The woman, followed by her companions, strode over to the bed and lifted all the covers. She inspected the sheets before exchanging a startled glance with the other servants.

"Is there a problem?" Katara asked with a frown.

"None whatsoever, Your Highness," the woman replied. "I can see that we've disturbed you. We shall come back at a more convenient time."

She and the others bowed before quickly exiting, closing the door as they left.

_Well, that was odd, _Katara thought. She bit her lip before crossing the room and examined the sheets. They were spotless.

Still perturbed, Katara shrugged to herself and began to apply her makeup at the desk provided.

* * *

After deciding that she should check on Iroh's progress now that the antidote had been given, Katara walked leisurely down the hallways half an hour later. It was a beautiful day outside and all her problems seemed to melt away. She came to a corner and was about to cross it before a hushed voice began murmuring something.

"Still a virgin, I hear," the voice whispered conspiratorially.

"No!" the other gasped in genuine shock.

"Yes," the first replied smugly, evidently enjoying the effect the gossip had on her friend. "The Prince won't be happy. There was no blood on the sheets when Hana checked this morning, apparently."

"Well, maybe she just didn't bleed," the first one answered uncertainly. "Not everyone does their first time. I once had a cousin that-"

Sickened, Katara turned away as the voices grew fainter. So Zuko had been right. The damn servants knew everything. How fast would it take for details of her private life to spread? A blush crept up her cheeks. She wasn't ashamed of her abstinence, far from it, but having the servants cast her judging looks would not be something she would enjoy.

Determined not to let the gossip prevent her from checking on Iroh, Katara walked down the hallway. She had a good mind to run after the servants, but what would she say? Anything she said would just come out wrong and make her look an idiot. She dwelled on the matter until she reached Iroh's room. The last time she had been there was when the truth about Haru had been uncovered…but if she avoided every room that reminded her of painful memories then she'd have nowhere to go.

She nodded and smiled at the guards as they bowed silently and moved to let her through. She opened the door and stepped inside tentatively. A brilliant smile lit up her face when she saw that Iroh was sat up in bed, his eyes darting curiously towards her and then grinning himself when he saw his visitor.

"Hello Katara," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Iroh!" Katara sang, moving across the room quickly and sitting down on the bedside chair. "I'd hug you but…"

"That probably isn't the best of ideas right now," Iroh nodded in agreement. "So, I heard you got married."

His casual tone made Katara laugh. "Yeah," she answered. "But more on that later. How are you? How long have you been awake?"

"I've just woken up from a coma which I was not expected to survive…all in all, I've been better," Iroh answered, attempting a shrug and failing. "The healer says I have been flitting in and out of consciousness all night, not that I remember any of it."

"Does Zuko know?" Katara asked.

"Yes." Iroh glanced away, looking uncomfortable. "I was sorry to hear about your friend."

"You were?" Katara asked in surprise. "But…he nearly killed you."

"I was not sorry to hear about the death of my attempted killer," Iroh corrected. "Just about your friend."

"You talk as though he was two different people," Katara muttered, looking away at the floor where Haru first revealed himself.

"Wasn't he?"

"Not towards the end," Katara said sadly. "The Day of Black Sun…it caused damage that couldn't be reversed. The last time I saw him, he told me that he would've poisoned my cup too if I'd married Zuko."

"But you were still upset to see him die?" Iroh frowned.

"I pleaded for his life," Katara murmured. "Begged. Even after what he'd said."

"Why?"

"I guess I just wanted the old Haru back," Katara shrugged. "I thought I'd found another companion who knew what I'd gone through. Only it turned out that he was as messed up as I am."

Iroh stretched his arm out and patted Katara's hand comfortingly. She smiled at him.

"Help yourself to some tea," Iroh grinned suddenly. "I wouldn't say no to a cup myself. Tell me all about yesterday." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "But leave out details of the wedding night, if you don't mind."

Katara groaned. "Not you too."

"Who do you think arranged for all the rose petals to be placed in the room?" Iroh laughed. "It's a good thing I arranged ahead though. Just think, if I hadn't ordered the flowers a month ago then the room would've been void of roses!"

"Oh no, we couldn't have had that!" Katara gasped in mock horror as she rolled her eyes.

Iroh laughed and listened attentively over the afternoon to Katara's grumbling. She was talking about such trivial things that Iroh knew that she didn't yet know the reason she had been forced to marry so quickly.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hope you enjoyed, sorry for the delay (stupid exams) and thanks to all of my incredible reviewers. I'm so sorry that I couldn't reply to your reviews. Every single one of you is very much appreciated in helping to keep me sane. Just ask the pixies that live in my hat.**

**Have a great week!**

**- Momo**


	22. Come Cover Me

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Come wet a widow's eye, dry the rain from my beaten face. Come cover me with you, for the thrill 'til you will take me in. Come comfort me in you, young love must live twice only for us._

- Come Cover Me _by _Nightwish

* * *

Katara lay lazily in the sunlight, her eyes closed against the bright, warm light. She was utterly contented. After her lengthy talk with Iroh she'd wandered aimlessly for awhile. Apparently Zuko had another Council meeting so Katara decided to get back in touch with nature. And by that she meant the palace gardens. But still, it was a beautiful day and the grass invited her to lounge on its lushness. Who was she to decline?

A shadow fell over the light and a small chuckle escaped the newcomer's lips. Katara opened her eyes casually.

"Tired?" Zuko asked, sitting down next to Katara.

"A little," Katara nodded idly. "I didn't sleep very well last night."

She gestured towards the water, pushing and pulling it very gently so that only ripples broke the surface. She found this very relaxing. Zuko, however, frowned.

"You'll upset the turtle ducks," he pointed out, catching her hand and softly putting it back down to her waist. "And they've been through enough in their lives. Azula used to throw rocks at them and call it feeding."

"No wonder she was so psychopathic if she used to confuse food with rocks," Katara mused, stretching out like a cat. "I hear pebbles really cause brain damage."

"But they're so tasty and nutritious," Zuko mock-pouted, making Katara laugh. "So have you been out here all day or…?"

"No, I went to see Iroh before. He's doing great, not quite up yet but he's talking which is a plus," Katara grinned. Zuko's body stiffened beside her and he sat up sharply.

"What were you talking about?" he asked, his voice a little harsher than he intended it to be.

"I-I was just telling him about the wedding," Katara told him, startled. She too began to sit up slowly. "Or am I not allowed to talk to people now?"

"No, it's not that," Zuko sighed, his heart slowly returning to normal now that he knew the secret hadn't been let out. "It's just…when I went to see Uncle, he'd just woken up. He was talking about Lu Ten, his son who died in the war and his wife who died in childbirth. He was calling for them and asking where they were." He looked away. "I didn't want you to have to hear that. When he remembered that they were dead…"

"I'm sorry," Katara murmured, touching Zuko's arm lightly. "He was fine when I talked to him."

Zuko only nodded, ashamed that he had lied about his family in order to protect a secret. But it was a secret that he had to protect Katara from, and he would do anything to keep her safe. So it was justified, in a way.

"I didn't mean to snap," Zuko muttered. "I just worry sometimes."

"I know," Katara smiled. "Sometimes I worry too."

Zuko twisted the grass between his fingers, coiling it around and around until it snapped and broke clean off. He threw the strands aside and set to work on another patch until Katara covered his hand with hers.

"If I'm not allowed to antagonize the turtle ducks, you're not allowed to torture the grass," she told him, hiding her worry behind her smile.

Zuko lifted his hand up slightly, showing that he'd stop. "Is this what married life is going to be like?"

"You mean, I tell you not to do something and you listen?" Katara asked, grinning. "I hope so."

"Then I'll have to find a loophole in those unbreakable vows," Zuko teased, turning his head and kissing Katara lightly.

She smiled against his lips and was still smiling when he pulled away slightly.

"Do I amuse you?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrow slightly.

Katara shrugged. "I just didn't see things working out like this when you first invaded my village."

"Life doesn't work out the way you expect," Zuko answered. "Now let's talk about something else before I get philosophical. I've been wondering about something."

"Oh yeah?" Katara asked, interested by his last sentence.

"Yeah," Zuko nodded. He smiled at her. "What do you think about inviting your family over in a couple of weeks?"

Katara's answer was an ecstatic shriek as she rushed to hug Zuko, causing them both to topple on the ground. Even though they'd been sitting down already, the impact was surprisingly painful. Neither of the teens minded, however. In fact, Zuko kind of liked the way Katara was on top of him, hugging him like there was no tomorrow.

"You…are the best…husband…ever!" Katara grinned, her eyes alight with happiness and excitement as she stood up. Her body was almost quivering with anticipation. "When can we send the letter? Can we send it now? When will it get there?"

"Calm down," Zuko smiled, also getting to his feet. "We'll send the letter soon, there's just some things I need to sort out first. I have some Fire Lord things to do, why don't you go and see Uncle? He's probably getting lonely with no one to talk with about tea."

"Sure," Katara nodded happily. "When's the official coronation? Will my family be there for that?"

"Probably," Zuko nodded. "But they'll just be bored to tears. If it's anything like my father's coronation then it'll just be hours of standing around."

"Well they missed the wedding, so this is the next best thing," Katara shrugged. She leant upwards and kissed Zuko swiftly, before calling her goodbyes and ambling back into the palace.

Zuko gnawed his bottom lip anxiously as she went. Scenarios drifted in and out of his mind, all of them featuring him telling Katara the truth and her reacting in unpleasant ways. She'd find out eventually though. He stood there for a few more minutes, deliberating, until he tasted blood. He dabbed at his lip lightly with his tongue and a rusty wetness greeted it. Grimacing, he impatiently dragged the back of his hand across his mouth to get rid of the blood. Beneath him, a turtle duck quacked inquisitively.

"Tell me about it," Zuko groaned, rolling his eyes. He paused and glared at the small creature out of the corner of his good eye. "No, wait, don't. I don't think I could handle talking animals on top of everything else."

* * *

"I'm back," Katara announced to Iroh, the spring in her step evident and slightly worrying. She paused just before his bed and stared down at him. "And you're gone."

"Gone?" Iroh repeated sluggishly, a childish frown crinkling his brow. "I'm not _gone_."

"Well, your dilated pupils say otherwise," Katara murmured, taking the seat beside his bed and leaning forward cautiously. "The healer went a little overboard with the medicinal herbs, huh?"

Iroh grinned at her widely and Katara couldn't help but laugh after a moment.

"I suppose it'll wear off soon." Her smile soon disappeared. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"It comes and goes," Iroh shrugged, his head lolling from side to side. "Mostly comes. In large, agonizing amounts."

"It's just your body fighting back against the poison and getting rid of it," Katara soothed, spotting a cloth and a bowl of water at the side of her and dabbing Iroh's forehead with it.

"That's really cold!" Iroh complained, swatting at the cloth feebly. He sighed and looked pathetically up at Katara. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"What? You're fine," Katara scoffed, wringing out the cloth in the bowl and not meeting Iroh's eye.

"Five minutes ago I was convinced that a giant bowl of fruit punch came crashing through the wall," Iroh frowned, seemingly lucid for the moment. But then he giggled and Katara knew that the moment had passed. "The look on the healer's face was priceless."

"I'm sure it was," Katara nodded, resisting the temptation to roll her eyes and laugh. "But I don't think that you should be left alone when you're in this state." She began to stand up, but Iroh reached out and took her wrist in a frail grasp. She smiled sadly and sat back down. "Well, alright. But don't think you're not getting teased about this when you're back to normal."

Iroh smiled and closed his eyes. Katara cocked her head to the side and watched the soon to be retired Fire Lord. He looked so innocent and helpless.

"This is the man who threatened to invade my home?" she murmured to herself, settling her hands against her bare stomach before fiddling absently with the design on her flowing skirt.

"No, he isn't here," Iroh informed her, making her jump slightly; she thought he had gone to sleep. "But if he was here, would you be mad at him if he had a confession to make?"

Katara frowned as she tried to keep track of that sentence. "Depends what kind of confession."

"A really, really bad one," Iroh whispered loudly. "Would you be mad at me?"

Glad that Iroh was back to talking in the first person, Katara leant forward. She clasped her hands together, perplexed. "No." She didn't care if she would later regret this promise; she needed to learn about what Iroh had to tell her.

"It's about the Water Tribe," Iroh warned.

Katara stiffened and her heart rate sped up. "Go on."

"I had to unite the two nations somehow," Iroh muttered to himself, sounding as though he were trying to privately justify whatever he had done. "I didn't want there to be another war. But you wouldn't have come willingly, why would you? After all our nation had done…"

A knot of dread began to form in Katara's stomach as Iroh's medicine-induced ramblings became more sinister.

"Even if I reasoned with your father, your brother would never allow it. I knew that. So I thought that if they thought you _had _to come to the Fire Nation then there wouldn't be another war." He looked anxiously up at Katara, who stared back in revulsion. "I didn't want another war. I didn't. But if I _threatened _a war then it'd get the reaction I needed. I hoped and it did." Iroh continued mumbling incoherently, his words and sentences making less sense as he went along.

"You were never going to go through with invading the Water Tribe," Katara murmured in horror, sitting back in her chair in shock. "It was all a lie."

"But a good lie," Iroh insisted weakly. "A lie that saved people."

"So I'm here for _nothing_?" Katara hissed, anger setting in. Her fists clenched at her sides and the water bowl beside her shook violently.

"You're here for Zuko," Iroh pointed out, his mouth turning down sadly.

"Did he know about this?" Katara asked, her voice shaking as much as the liquid beside her. But through the unmistakable anger there was a note of pleading.

"No," Iroh answered, lolling his head again and blinking listlessly. "I didn't tell anyone but the Council…and the nobles…and Arisu…and a few other people. They all thought it was a _great _idea."

"I'm sure they did," Katara spat, before glancing up in disbelief. "_Arisu _knew about it?"

"Arisu knows a lot more than people give her credit for," Iroh objected.

Katara stood up in disgust, the chair clattering to the floor. She was breathing heavily and when guards burst in demanding to know if the Fire Lord was okay, one look from the Waterbender silenced them. They eyed her cautiously, slowly edging towards the ill Fire Lord who was still mumbling frantically to himself. The herbs were having a bad effect on him and it hurt Katara's already fragile heart to see it. But she was furious right now and her mind was focused only on her own pain.

* * *

"Katara? Are you in here?"

Katara glanced up from the beautiful emerald grass below the balcony. It was a different view from Zuko's balcony, but it was breathtaking nonetheless. A light breeze picked up any stray leaves that had fallen from the tall trees and made them dance around the sky like puppets on invisible strings.

"I'm out here," Katara called quietly, her troubled eyes straying back to the patch of serenity below.

The door closed shut, footsteps were heard, the glass balcony doors opened and suddenly Zuko was behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck in an unusually affectionate gesture.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, his breath warm against her neck.

Katara stared out to the distance. "I don't think so," she replied in a tortured whisper.

Zuko gently stepped back and away from Katara. He took one of her hands and she turned around slightly. The cerulean pools of her eyes were unfathomable as she looked away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worried now.

Katara glanced up at him, deliberating. If she told him the things that she had been thinking then he would be heartbroken. She shouldn't even be thinking them really. But she couldn't help but realize that she was free now. If she wanted to leave the Fire Nation…leave Zuko…then she was able to do so without any repercussions for her nation. And as much as she loved her new husband, the siren call of freedom was almost too strong to resist. She could slip away when her family leave the palace. They would be thrilled to have her back, of course. She could feign illness the night before and-

No.

She refused to let herself even consider leaving Zuko. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone. They needed each other. The way her cool hand fit into his warm, protective one was something that felt too natural to be wrong. With these thoughts, Katara summoned a smile to her lips and looked into Zuko's melting eyes.

"Just a little stomach ache," she lied. "Nothing major."

Zuko pressed his worried lips into a thin white line. "We're supposed to be going to the city today in the carrier but I can postpone it if you're not well…"

"No," Katara answered a little too quickly. At Zuko's raised eyebrow, she managed a shaky laugh. "I don't want to deny the world of your handsome face."

"If that wasn't so plausible then I'd be suspicious," Zuko teased, although there was an edge to his voice. So they were both keeping secrets now, were they? He took comfort in the fact that Katara's was just about her feelings and his secret was more important.

"Come on, Mr. Vanity," Katara smiled, only slightly faking it now. "If we've got to greet the public then we should do it while the sun is still up. Do I need to change?"

"Nah," Zuko answered with a shake of his head. "You're beautiful just the way you are."

A light blush crept up onto Katara's cheeks as she allowed Zuko to lead her from the bedroom and all the way down to the main hall, where a selection of guards were waiting.

"Your Highnesses," they murmured, each bowing lowly as Zuko and Katara passed them. Katara smiled awkwardly but Zuko, evidently used to this, just nodded curtly. Their shoes echoed harshly on the tiled floor until the entrance doors were opened widely for them. Sunlight flooded into the hall and Katara winced away at the brightness. She, Zuko and the guards were halfway down the drive before her eyes adjusted.

"So where are we going?" Katara asked nervously a few minutes later when she and Zuko were sitting in the carrier, adorned with crimson silk walls and filled with comfortable, plump cushions.

"Around," Zuko shrugged helpfully. "Just to the towns around the capital really. We'll just pass through though, no stopping unless it's necessary. It shouldn't take more than three hours."

"_Three hours_?" Katara repeated in disbelief, sitting bolt upright and facing Zuko who looked at her in amusement.

"I'm sorry, will that interrupt your busy schedule?" he asked sarcastically.

Katara threw a cushion at him, which he deftly caught and threw aside.

"Shut up," she muttered. "I just wanted to get to bed early tonight."

From outside of the carrier, there was a muffled laugh and a grunt as one of the guards elbowed the other. Katara turned pink as she realized what her words must've sounded like to the guards.

"I know what you meant," Zuko assured her, although he was trying not to smile at her reaction. "And it'll only take three hours if we travel to one awkward town that's in the middle of nowhere. It'd be the last stop if we chose to go."

"We might as well get it over with," Katara sighed. "If we don't go today we'd only end up having to go another day."

"True," Zuko agreed. "Besides, it's a good chance for us to talk to each other."

Three and a half hours of silence later, Katara took Zuko's hand as he assisted her down the steps of the carrier and back into the palace. Darkness cloaked the pathway and Katara stumbled over stray rocks more than once.

"You're a little clumsy tonight," Zuko noted.

"I'm just really tired," Katara shrugged. "It must have been all the scintillating conversation that we had."

"Hey, I was waiting for you to say something. You've had something on your mind all night. And don't deny it," he added quickly when Katara opened her mouth in protest.

"I don't want to get into a fight," Katara sighed, conscious of the guards trailing close behind the royal couple.

Zuko's grasp around her hand tightened. "So it's something that'd cause a fight?"

"No," Katara assured him. "Now stop being paranoid. I'm just tired and cranky. I'll be fine in the morning."

The grand double doors opened for them and the couple stepped inside. Zuko sulked all the way up to the bedroom, much to Katara's chagrin.

"Are you going to be like this whenever I don't divulge my every thought?" she demanded, snatching her hand away from his and storming into their room. He didn't answer. Katara snarled in frustration and grabbed her nightwear from the bed, striding to the bathroom and then slamming the door.

"Women," Zuko muttered, pulling off his shirt and getting ready for bed.

"Men," Katara spat, angrily tearing off her clothes and pulling her nightdress over her head. She ran the taps on the sink at full blast so that water pelted the marble basin and washed her face, cleaning almost all of the makeup off it before giving up. Gently twisting the taps so that no liquid escaped, she gathered up her clothes and opened the bathroom door. The refreshing sharpness of cold water had calmed her down slightly. They were both being immature. But she wouldn't be the first one to admit that.

She noticed as she stepped into the main room that Zuko had closed the curtains, lit a large candle on the desk and was staring intently at it. The flames rose and shrank to match his steady breathing. This had always fascinated Katara and she couldn't help but stand there silently until Zuko noticed her. He offered an uncomfortable smile which she returned. They both began to speak, both paused to let the other go first, both remained silent.

"Goodnight?" Zuko finally offered, although why his chosen word sounded like a question, Katara had no idea.

"Goodnight," she nodded, the trace of a smile still on her lips. "Maybe tomorrow we'll be a little more mature?"

"Don't count on it," Zuko told her, but his eyes twinkled.

He waited until Katara had climbed into bed before dimming the candle and climbing in himself. Once he'd pulled the covers over himself and Katara, he extinguished the candle with barely a breath. Lying there in the darkness, it dawned on them both that neither was comfortable with sharing the same bed just yet.

"So how did you like the Fire Nation?" Zuko asked through the blackness, trying to make them both slightly less ill at ease.

"There's a lot of poverty," Katara whispered after a moment. "Children begging in the streets, women offering themselves for money…"

"You weren't supposed to see those parts of the towns," Zuko told her uneasily.

"All the towns were the same; it was difficult not to. Can't you do anything for them?"

"Well, my guards visit the towns sometimes when they feel lonely, if that helps," Zuko offered.

Katara made a noise of disgust in the back of her throat.

"That wasn't funny, I'm sorry," Zuko amended quickly. "The war left the Fire Nation damaged. We're rebuilding it but…"

"It takes time," Katara finished for him.

"Yeah," Zuko replied sadly.

A moment passed in silence.

"At least the Fire Nation isn't as bad as the Southern Water Tribe was after some of the attacks," Katara reminded him. She was trying to cheer him up, but couldn't stop a bitter note from entering her voice.

"Can't argue there," Zuko agreed. "But you did the best you could. I mean, you did a great job with the…tents."

"Yeah, they were great for keeping the cold out," Katara concurred sarcastically. "Almost as useful as Sokka's watch tower."

"It had its uses," Zuko argued with a chuckle. "He watched us invade the village, didn't he?"

"He didn't do that from the tower though." She snorted slightly. "The size of your ship, he could see just fine from where he was."

"What was wrong with my ship?" Zuko demanded lightly.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just, you know what they say. The bigger the ship…"

"It isn't an indication, don't worry."

"Actually, I was going to say 'the bigger the ego'." There was a highly embarrassing pause, in which both were glad that the darkness hid their bright faces. Then Katara laughed and lightened the mood. "But that's a load off my mind."

Although it was easier to talk and joke about such matters in the dark, neither continued that thread of conversation. Instead, Zuko reached to the side and took Katara's hand softly.

"The poverty will end soon," he promised quietly. "When I'm officially crowned as Fire Lord, things will change."

"I know," Katara nodded, before yawning. "I have faith in you."

Uncertainly at first, she shuffled closer to Zuko and tentatively rested her head on his shoulder. Just as cautiously, he in turn rested the side of his head on top of hers. Both enjoyed the closeness but neither was willing to say this out loud for fear of unnerving the other.

"You know that I love you, don't you?" Zuko murmured. "You're the only one I could ever trust with my heart."

"I love you too," Katara replied simply. "I always will."

Yet as both fell asleep, each dwelling on their respective secrets, Katara wondered if love would be enough.

* * *

_One Week Later_"Fight me."

* * *

"What?"

"You heard. Fight me."

"Katara, I don't want to fight you."

"Fine. Spar with me."

"That I'll do."

Zuko gently guided Katara sideways so she wouldn't fall back when he stood up. As much as he enjoyed having Katara so close to him, the impulses he felt were getting difficult to cope with. He heaved himself up from his leaning position against the tree that shadowed the garden pond and stretched outwards. Katara copied his actions, brushing her back in case any dirt or residue from the tree had stuck there. Zuko looked away.

"So, what brought on the sudden desire to spar?" he asked, waiting for her to stop being paranoid and walk with him.

"Well it's been a week now and you still haven't sent the letter asking my family and Toph over," she reminded him edgily. "I'm hoping that kicking the crap out of you will remind you to do it and also ease my frustration."

Zuko was also taking this opportunity to ease frustration, although he doubted that Katara was talking about the same type that he was. He mentally kicked himself and told himself - for what felt like the millionth time already that day - not to rush Katara. When she was ready, he would be ready.

As they walked hand in hand in the midday sun, Zuko wondered where the sudden rush of hormones had come from. He supposed that they'd always been there, only it was a lot more obvious to him now that there was no impending doom. Yet. But recently he couldn't stop thinking about one specific subject and he feared that he'd end up hurrying Katara into something she wasn't ready to do if he talked about the matter.

"What are you thinking about?" Katara asked, glancing up at him with contented eyes.

"How pretty the flowers look," Zuko answered after a moment of panicked deliberation, gesturing to the blooming wildlife beside them.

Katara frowned up at him slightly. "You're kind of a girl, you know that?" She nudged him and laughed.

Zuko nudged her right back, careful not to be too rough. "Well you're kind of one too."

Their feet crunched in the gravel as they made their way to the outdoor training arena. Katara enjoyed the warmth on her bare arms and would often comment on what how beautiful the sky/trees/birds/flowers were.

"Are you officially endorsing today or something?" Zuko asked with a laugh.

"Just because I take time to stop and smell the panda lilies," Katara answered, sticking her tongue out childishly.

"I never really got that saying," Zuko mused as they entered the sandy arena. "Why would you want to take specific time out of your day to stop and smell a bunch of flowers that will always be there?"

"Because it's poetic and you just should," Katara replied with finality that suggested that the topic was over.

"That's got me convinced," Zuko murmured dryly.

Katara swatted his arm lightly. "Good. Now come on, let's spend some quality time together." She took her hand from his and drew a stream of pre-prepared, silvery water from one of the two large jugs beside her and flexed it threateningly.

"It worries me that everything's all ready," Zuko noted with a frown, gesturing to from the jugs of water to the neatly lain out sparring clothes on the dusty floor. "Have you got psychic powers that I should know about or have you been wanting to spar for awhile?"

"A little of both," Katara laughed, concentrating on the water for a moment and jetting it forwards a few meters as a warm up.

"Are you sure you want to spar right now?" Zuko asked with a small frown as he squinted up to the sky. "It's very hot today, plus it's midday which will only make it worse."

"That sounds like quitting talk!" Katara gasped in mock horror. "Now stand over there while I take my clothes off."

"What?"

"I need to put my sparring clothes on," Katara told him slowly, embarrassed that her words had come out that way. "It'll just take a minute."

With a burning face that had nothing to do with the heat, Zuko turned around and began to walk to his side of the arena. He heard Katara pick up the clothes and shuffle off, presumably to the nearby trees for some privacy. Muttering under his breath all the while about 'stupid provocative Waterbenders', Zuko took off his top and threw it aside. A tiny cloud of dust flew up as the fabric hit the floor. He experimentally tried out a few basic training moves to get himself warmed up.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Katara called.

"It's about-" Zuko started, before cutting off sharply and defending himself against the small torrent of water heading his way. He jerked his arm forward and then to the side, ensuring that a burst of flames followed and clashed against the water. Steam hissed from the collision.

"What was that?" he shouted furiously when he was sure there was no immediate danger.

"Always be prepared," Katara shrugged, carefully balancing liquid between her hands. She smiled sweetly. "Less talk. More fight."

She separated the water into sharp, icy daggers. The blazing sun alone was working against her element and when Firebending was entered into the equation, she had no chance.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Zuko called as he melted the daggers with ease and threw a weak blast in return. He was determined not to lose himself as he had done last time and accidentally hurt Katara but that didn't mean he couldn't keep up appearances.

And so they danced around each other, coiling flames springing and spitting at the graceful water who flew and swept across the spotless azure sky. Katara kept the same strategy as last time and aimed for Zuko's ankles, attempting to trip him up at every opportunity all the while cautiously avoiding anything that could turn into a fire whip. The couple twisted and turned, always landing on their feet, always just one step away from getting caught by the opposite element. At one point, Katara sliced Zuko's bare arm with an sharp icicle. A thin line of crimson blossomed and began to run down his arm. Zuko glanced at, wiped away the blood and raised his arms in to resume attack.

"Stop!" Katara ordered quickly, pulling up her hands quickly and defensively placing them in front of her chest. "You're hurt."

"I've had much worse," Zuko sniffed dismissively. "Fight now please."

"No," Katara frowned, walking forward swiftly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. We weren't aiming for that." She cast a sly look at him. "This time."

"Katara, it's barely more than a scrape," Zuko complained, rolling his eyes in frustration as she examined his arm. "It looks worse than it is."

"We should take a break," Katara decided, although they had been fighting for little more than ten minutes. "Get some lunch or something."

"Fine," Zuko muttered, stalking back over to his top and pulling it over his head roughly. "But we spar well together."

"Which is why we'll do it again tomorrow or something," Katara called over her shoulder with a shrug. In turn, she enveloped different parts of her body in water briefly before releasing the liquid back into the jug beside her. All clean.

"Promise?" Zuko asked. Katara jumped slightly; she hadn't heard him come up behind her. But she turned and smiled nonetheless.

"Promise," she nodded. "Now amuse yourself for a minute while I go and get changed."

Zuko obediently turned away and began inspecting the water jugs. There were beautifully crafted and seemed to have been imported straight from the Water Tribe itself judging by the colors and designs. Ocean blue and white swirls circled each other around and around the jug until the two joined as one magnificent swirl at the top of the jug. Quite exquisite.

He heard Katara's soft footfalls and turned to greet her. Judging by her guilty expression, Zuko concluded that she'd been meaning to sneak up on him. He raised his eyebrow but she just smiled angelically.

"Ready to go?" she asked innocently, her eyes widening to suggest that she would never do anyone harm.

Zuko rolled his eyes but laughed. "Yeah." He took her hand and they began walking idly back to the gardens. "We can go and see uncle later on if you want."

"No," Katara said quickly. "I saw him yesterday and he was fine."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate-"

"I don't want to," Katara told him firmly. "But you can go ahead."

"Okay," Zuko frowned suspiciously. "Did you two have an argument?"

"No," Katara sighed wearily. "Please just drop it."

Zuko muttered something under his breath, but Katara knew it was best that she didn't tell him what was on her mind. Although comfortable in his arms last night, Katara couldn't stop the traitorous thoughts whispering in her mind. She knew that the freedom she had here was only an illusion…but it didn't have to be that way. With nothing threatening the Water Tribe, she could walk out the gates right now if she wanted. But part of her didn't want to. Just imagining Zuko's expression was enough to ensure that she stayed. She couldn't do that to him. Her damn love got in the way of her freedom.

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Zuko started hesitantly as they passed through the gardens. He stopped walking and gently pulled Katara down onto the bench he now sat on. She sat down cautiously, smoothing down her skirt with her free hand.

"Okay," she said slowly, brushing stray strands of mahogany hair out of her face.

"I think that we should get herbs that prevent pregnancy," Zuko told her seriously. "It's technically frowned upon but I know that you're not ready to have children yet."

_I wasn't aware I was ready to have sex yet, _Katara thought, unable to quite voice this.

"Oh, I-" was all she managed before Zuko interrupted.

"I know, I know. You're not ready."

Was it just Katara, or did he sound impatient? "It isn't that-"

"So you are ready?" Zuko asked quickly, leaning closer out of eagerness to hear her response.

"…Are you?" Katara asked, unhappy with the way the conversation had gone. She had meant the question as a way to tell Zuko that she wasn't quite ready yet, but he interpreted it wrong.

"I'm ready when you're ready," he assured her. "If you're ready then so am I. Are you ready?"

_Stop saying ready! _Katara thought, getting slightly desperate. She didn't want to disappoint Zuko but couldn't let this go any further.

"I guess," she lied, her voice faltering through her false smile.

"Then I'll have a word with the herbalist," Zuko grinned, his eyes shining with happiness.

_What have I done? _Katara worried as Zuko went on with himself about having to lie and say it was for a mistress. He smiled broadly, kissed Katara on the cheek and left.

Katara nibbled on her lip as she watched him leave. She didn't know why she'd lied but now she had to contend with it. So what if she wasn't ready? It didn't really matter, did it? She'd always promised herself that her first time would be with someone she loved and she loved Zuko more than anything. She'd do anything for him…but this was a really big step. It was something she wouldn't allow herself to rush into, even with the right person. Nodding to herself, she decided to tell him this as soon as he returned.

* * *

"Preventing pregnancy?" the healer repeated, her eyebrows raised in deep skepticism.

"Yes," Zuko nodded, trying to be regal and failing. "It's for my mistress."

"You have a mistress already?" The healer was insultingly shocked.

"Of course," Zuko nodded. "I get bored easily and this woman is very exciting."

"Does Lady Katara know?" the healer asked shrewdly.

"I don't see how it concerns her," Zuko shrugged, not feigning the impatience that appeared in his voice. He looked pointedly at the only cabinet in the small room. "The herbs, please."

"It isn't my business, Your Highness, but I like Lady Katara. She is a good person. I don't think you should be cheating whilst the monarchy is in such a fragile state," the healer protested. However, she turned to the cabinet on her left and withdrew a vial.

"The monarchy is fine and so is my wife," Zuko growled. "Don't mention this to anyone."

"I won't, Your Highness," the healer grumbled, reluctantly bowing.

Zuko left, rolling his eyes. The only reason that he allowed this particular healer to be so flippant with him was that he had known her since he was an infant and she had helped him through many illnesses. To hear that she approved of Katara made him happy for some reason.

He made his way back down to the gardens, wondering about Katara's tone when she told him she was ready to consummate their relationship. She had sounded reluctant, but why would she lie to him? Maybe she was just nervous. It wasn't until he saw Katara's face when he approached her that he knew what was the matter.

"You're not ready." It wasn't a question and his voice held no anger or frustration. Instead there was a small smile on his voice and his tone was filled with understanding.

"I'm sorry," Katara murmured, standing up to greet him.

"What for?" Zuko frowned as she hung awkwardly back. He took a couple of steps forward and closed the gap between them by enveloping her in his arms. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I led you on," Katara mumbled against his top.

"I love you," Zuko assured her, kissing the top of her head and smiling. "And if that means waiting a hundred years then I'll do it."

"You'll come to regret that promise," Katara warned, but she laughed shortly afterwards. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"I've been told," Zuko nodded, all modesty leaving the conversation. "I'm not just doing this for you anyway. Your brother would kill me if he knew."

"Sokka will kill you anyway," Katara mused. "It's probably best to be on your guard whenever he's around. If he ever gets here."

"I'll write the letter tonight," Zuko promised. "You can watch me. You can even write it yourself if you want."

"I'll hold you to that," Katara smiled, breaking away from the embrace gently. "But right now I'm going to go for a walk."

"Want me to join you?"

"No, I need to clear my head," Katara smiled. "I'll see you later."

"See you later," Zuko repeated as Katara leant upwards and kissed him goodbye.

As a very relieved Katara began to make her way through the large palace grounds, Zuko went back to his room. The coolness of the palace was divine after the heat outside and Zuko found himself oddly happy. He would see Uncle later, he decided. If he was well enough - which was highly doubtful but still - then Zuko would take him outside to enjoy the sunshine.

He stopped outside of his room and opened the door. The moment he stepped inside, he knew that something was wrong. A small scroll lay on the desk near the window. A patch of sunlight shone menacingly on it. This could only be one thing. His feet sinking into the soft carpet, Zuko hesitantly walked over to the desk and picked up the scroll. It was bound by a shabby green ribbon that had had definitely seen better days. As he untied the ribbon, a recent memory flashed back to him.

"_Sir?" a noble asked hesitantly, raising his hand in the middle of the latest Council meeting. Zuko looked up, perplexed. He had just put the rebel to death and Katara would hate him forever. The other nobles looked from the Prince to the one who had spoken and a ripple of fear shivered through the group. They all knew something._

"_What?" Zuko frowned, noticing the tension and answering slightly more sharply than he intended._

"_We…there was a letter sent to the palace today. From the village that Haru was from."_

_Zuko's expression darkened. "Do you have it on you?"_

"_Yes, Your Highness." The noble took out a piece of parchment from one of his pockets and handed it to the person next to him. The parchment flew down the table as though touching it for too long would cause pain. Zuko all but snatched it off the man closest to him and scanned the letter quickly:_

Haru,

I send this last bottle with the wish that it will fulfill your destiny and return you to us soon. The Crusaders are behind you. We will fight for you all the way until balance is restored to this world. Your courage will be remembered across the ages.

- Fong

"_Where's the bottle now?" Zuko snapped, his temper rising as he clenched the letter in his fist._

"_We kept it until we were sure that you wanted it disposed of," one nervous Council member piped up, shrinking under the withering glare of the Prince who was forty years younger than he._

"_I want it disposed of," Zuko assured with a snarl. "Give me a new piece of parchment and some ink. I'm going to write a little note of my own."_

"_Forgive me, Your Highness, but are you sure that is wise?" the first noble asked uncertainly._

"_Just do it," Zuko ordered through gritted teeth. "If a war is started then so be it."_

_He waited impatiently for what he had asked, drumming his fingers agitatedly on the throne he currently resided on. When the equipment was delivered, he paused for a moment before writing:_

Your spy is dead.

"_Short but sweet," he muttered ironically before signing his name and looking back up to the room in front of him. "Attach this to the bird it arrived with and send it off."_

_The nobles exchanged worried glances but did as the Prince instructed. The new note was passed back down quickly and left the room with a Council member._

_Silence passed._

"_I think that we should take some precautions," Taro suggested, his wise voice the safety boat in a storm-tossed ocean. "If the letter causes offense and the Earth Kingdom decides to retaliate, it would be better if we had a stable Fire Lord on the throne."_

_All eyes ascended to Zuko._

"_I have to be married before I can…oh." Surprise flashed in Zuko's eyes but he soon nodded slowly. "If that's what it takes. Katara won't be happy though."_

"_I'm sure you'll make it up to her," Taro replied. "Will you tell her the reason for your sudden nuptials?"_

"_No," Zuko answered quickly. "I don't want her to worry. If the Earth Kingdom wants trouble then I'll tell her. But not before. She deserves to have her wedding day with some peace of mind."_

_The nobles all nodded in agreement before falling silent again._

Regretting ever sending the letter, Zuko couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he unfurled the parchment. The five simple words that were written on the paper made his heart leap in dread:

_Then your nation will fall._

Zuko stood staring at the note for a few minutes, running through in his mind what he had done. He'd started another war.

He sighed and, with a new sense of unnerving calmness, rolled the parchment back up and pocketed it. He needed allies in a time like this. Time to invite Katara's family over to the Fire Nation.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Damn, this was a long chapter XD Just to let you know, in the letter Zuko writes to Katara's family and Toph (which I won't actually write out) he doesn't tell them about the possible impending war, which you can tell will cause problems when they find out. Because, trust me, they will find out (:**

**I wanted to put Zuko and Katara into a teenage relationship situation. You know, something to show that they're only human despite all the things that are going on around them. Hence the themes of this chapter. Hope it worked.**

**I've been off school this week and that's how I got most of this chapter done. But I kept getting distracted by learning to sing in Finnish XD Seriously, 'Eramaan Viiemeinen' by Nightwish is really really fun to attempt to sing along to. Considering my pronunciation is dire even with the lyrics in front of me, I'm guessing it's really really fun to hear me attempt to sing along as well :P **

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, you guys make my week, you really do. I had a break from exams and next week it's straight back to them TT. Good luck to everyone undergoing their own exams!**

**Have a great week,**

**- Momo**


	23. Ever Dream

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Would you do it with me, heal the scars and change the stars? Ever felt away without me? My love, it lies so deep. Ever dream of me? Give in, give in for my touch, for my taste, for my lust. Your beauty cascaded on me in this white night fantasy. Dream of me…_

"_All I ever craved were the two dreams I shared with you. One I now have, will the other one ever dream remain. For yours I truly wish to be."_

- Ever Dream _by _Nightwish

* * *

"Katara?" Zuko asked blearily, forcing his tired eyes open and squinting through the darkness to where Katara stood on the balcony. He saw her body stiffen as she jumped and then quickly turned around.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Zuko groaned, closing his eyes and rolling back over onto his back. "Just wondering where you were."

"Okay," Katara smiled sadly. "Sweet dreams."

But Zuko was already snoring softly.

Katara turned back to the dark night sky sadly. Tomorrow her family and Toph would arrive in the Fire Nation, if Appa arrived on time. It should be a time of great excitement and happiness, so why did she still feel like this? A whirr of confusion constantly interrupted her quiet time and she could scarcely think of anything else but her impending choice. The choice would probably be easier if it didn't seem as though she was choosing between her family and Zuko. But, in effect, she was. If there was some way that everyone could just get along…

An owl hooted mournfully somewhere across the night and Katara sighed quietly. She could try and persuade herself at the moment that there was no choice to be made, but tomorrow she knew that her family would plead with her to return to the Water Tribes. She didn't know if she would be strong enough to leave or strong enough to stay.

_I won't have any strength at all if I don't get some rest, _she thought to herself, shivering in the cool night. She ensured that the doors to the balcony were tightly shut and the curtains drawn before walking carefully back to bed. She put one foot in front of the other slowly; the thick black curtains refused to let even a glimmer of light through. She reached her destination and the bed sank slightly as she climbed in. She pulled the covers over her and closed her eyes, patiently waiting to go to sleep. After a moment, Zuko's arms found her and embraced her, the way they had done every night since he had sent off the letter. Katara frowned through her warm happiness; this decision was not going to be an easy one.

* * *

"What do I do if your brother hits me? Or your father?" Zuko fretted as he pulled his shirt for the day on. It was smarter than he would normally wear but more casual than the proper Fire Lord attire.

"Stand there and let them?" Katara suggested as she put on the finishing touches to her makeup. She re-checked her traditionally Water Tribe hair for the hundredth time, took a deep breath and stood up. The floor length mirror was a new addition to the room - since Katara had demanded one, anyway - and stood in a proud frame with a twist of crimson and sky blue colors. She anxiously stared into it, smoothing down her deep scarlet dress again and again until Zuko, smiling, came behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. They both looked at their reflections.

"Don't worry," Zuko murmured, holding her closely and leaning his head against hers. "Once they see me crowned, they'll respect me."

"Uh huh," Katara replied skeptically. "That's, what, tomorrow? They won't learn to respect you in that space of time, crown or no crown."

She continued tugging down on her dress to the point of obsession, trying to level away imaginary creases until Zuko caught her hands gently.

"They're your family," he smiled. "You don't need to impress them."

"I know," she answered hesitantly. "I just…I haven't seen them for awhile and the last time I did, I hated you. A lot."

"And now we're married," Zuko mused. "Things change, huh?"

"That shouldn't have," Katara sighed. "At least, in their eyes."

"When I tell them what really happened-"

"They'll think you're lying and hate you even more," Katara finished for him in dejection. "I know my family."

"I can deal with Sokka," Zuko scoffed cockily. "I can even take your father if the worst comes to the worst."

"Actually, I'm more worried about Gran Gran," Katara admitted sheepishly. "She can be pretty tough."

"If you're any indication then I'm in trouble," Zuko teased, stealing a kiss on her cheek.

Katara laughed, cheering up. "At least Toph's coming as well. She knows about us and she didn't seem that angry."

"Really?" Zuko frowned. "She seemed pretty annoyed to me."

"Oh, that's just Toph's usual level of angst," Katara shrugged. "But I think that, beneath the biting sarcasm and insults, she's happy for us."

"I didn't realize there _was _anything beneath the biting sarcasm and insults," Zuko said, perplexed. "You mean that I don't have her all figured out?"

"Not even close," Katara teased, snuggling her head into his chest. "But you never know. Once I thought that there was nothing more to you than anger and pain, and I turned out to be wrong."

Zuko didn't say anything, but a small smile appeared on his lips. He and Katara stood in front of the mirror for another minute, each lost in their thoughts about the other.

Then a knock on the door ruined the illusion of peace and the couple broke apart.

"Come in," Zuko called, an irritated edge to his voice as though being disturbed greatly annoyed him.

A servant opened the door hesitantly and, staring bashfully down at the floor the whole time, informed the royal couple that their guests had arrived. Katara's heart immediately tried to leap out of her chest. Zuko squeezed her hand tightly as they made their way down to the front of the palace where Katara's family would be waiting.

"I don't think that you should hold my hand when we first see them. If Toph stuck to her word then no one will know how happy I am with you and-"

"You asked her not to tell them?" Zuko cut across Katara's rambling with a frown.

"Are you surprised?" Katara asked in return, raising her eyebrows. When Zuko didn't answer, Katara whistled lowly. "Wow, you're really underestimating how much they hate you."

"Thanks for that," Zuko said icily. "It makes me feel so much better."

"What's up, are you nervous?" Katara laughed, nudging Zuko with her arm softly.

"I'm about to meet the man whose life my family ruined and tell him that I intend to father his daughter's children," Zuko replied, deadpanned. "Of course I'm nervous."

"Well maybe you should just hang back for awhile," Katara admitted. "But I love you."

"I love you too," Zuko smiled. "Forever."

They had reached the entrance doors at this point. The guards, nodding respectfully to both of them, pulled the doors apart. In the blinding sunlight, Katara heard her family before she saw them.

"They call this gardening?"

"It's too hot here!""

"I'm gonna kill every person that looks at me the wrong way."

Katara sighed heavily through the joy that flooded her heart and looked up at Zuko. "I think you spoke too soon."

"No," Zuko disagreed unconvincingly, his face growing paler as he stared straight ahead. "Your family won't scare me off."

Suddenly they heard Hakoda growl in frustration. "So where is he? I want to look in the eyes the man who stole my daughter away from me."

"They're going to kill me, aren't they?" Zuko muttered.

"It's looking likely," Katara nodded. "Now come on, meet your fate."

Instead of meeting her husband's fate with dignity, she ran towards it, smiling wildly. Her family turned and greeted their youngest member with open arms, hugging her fiercely. Even Toph clung to Katara in an uncharacteristic way.

"I'm so happy to see you all!" Katara gushed, flicking her eyes between the people that she loved, had missed so much that it hurt. They hadn't changed in their few months of absence; Gran Gran's eyes still glistened azure amid her leathered face, her father's sharp face was softened as he met his daughter's gaze, Sokka's suspicion and hatred of the Fire Nation was unseen beneath his goofy grin at finally seeing his baby sister again. Of course, Toph looked exactly the same.

"I've missed you so much!" Sokka grinned as he hugged Katara tightly again.

She hugged him back tightly and addressed everyone with: "How was your journey?"

"Wasn't bad," Toph shrugged. "Although we had to stop off in some Gods awful place in the Earth Kingdom."

"But we're here now," Hakoda placated gently. "And that's all that matters."

"Yeah," Katara agreed enthusiastically, unable to banish the smile from her face. "I can't believe you're here!"

The ecstatic faces of all that surrounded her slipped drastically as Zuko came to a stop beside Katara. He met each of their eyes evenly but didn't offer a smile. Katara gnawed on her lip at the aching tension.

"So…you all know Zuko," she tried awkwardly.

"How could we forget?" Sokka snarled, shaking under his father's restraining hand. "The bastard ruined our lives."

"Okay, I'll take that as a yes," Katara muttered under her breath, eyeing her brother warily.

"Hakoda, I believe that it's time I got some rest," Gran Gran said suddenly, turning to her son imperiously. "Be a dear and carry my bags up."

"There's no need," Katara began, before Gran Gran shot her a look. "…Because Dad was going to offer anyway, right Dad?" she quickly saved.

"Uh," Hakoda frowned, looking pointedly between Sokka and Zuko. "I really don't think now is the best of times."

"No, now's a great time," Katara hinted through gritted teeth. "I'm sure you're both tired. Sokka and Toph can catch up on their sleep easily." She gestured to a nearby pair of guards and they immediately joined the group. "Please escort my father and grandmother to their rooms."

"Yes, Lady Katara," the guards murmured, bowing their heads deeply and turning to the newcomers. "Please follow us."

Hakoda glared mistrustfully at the guards and stood firmly where he was. The guards, puzzled, turned to Katara who rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Dad, they won't hurt you. I'll see you as soon as we've got this-" she gestured impatiently towards her brother and husband "-sorted out. I promise."

"Sokka, make sure the _Prince_," Hakoda sneered the title, "doesn't try anything. I fully support your plan of breaking his nose."

"Dad!" Katara frowned. "There will be no breaking of my husband's nose, thank you!"

All eyes turned to her and Katara realized that this was the first time they would've heard Katara describe Zuko as her husband. Zuko was trying to hold back a smile, but the pride shone in his eyes. The others looked mildly disgusted but said nothing more on the subject.

"We'll see you later," Hakoda promised his daughter, shooting a glare at Zuko in the process.

"Come on Hakoda," Gran Gran scowled, pushing her son impatiently forward.

Katara felt a pulse of relief; at least it seemed that Gran Gran was on her side when it came to this.

"You should cut Dad a little slack," Sokka frowned as he watched Hakoda and Gran Gran from sight. "He's got every right to be suspicious of it here."

"I know," Katara grimaced. "I guess that'll take some getting used to."

The now smaller group was silent under the blazing sun, with Sokka and Toph both looking flustered with the heat. More guards moved forward uncertainly to collect the rest of the guests' belongings, but Katara shook her head silently at them, before turning to her brother.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but is there any way that you can just put what happened behind you for a few days?" she begged, knowing that she was asking too much but figuring that it was worth trying anyway.

For a moment Sokka looked truly contemplative and Katara's heart leapt hopefully. But then he drew back his fist and slammed it into Zuko's face with a sickening crunch.

After wincing away in shock, Katara nodded. "Okay, I'm glad that-"

But Sokka threw another, harder punch straight to Zuko's mouth. Zuko glowered at Sokka and wiped the blood from his mouth but otherwise did nothing. However his fists were tightly clenched and his golden eyes were murderous.

"Right, now that's over with-" Katara tried again, but was interrupted by a third blow.

The punches were becoming heaver as Sokka delivered them. He drew back his fist a fourth time, but Katara quickly intervened and held his fist back so he could do no more damage.

"We could be here a really long time with that method," she told her brother with raised eyebrows.

"Not necessarily," Sokka replied darkly, not taking his death-glare eyes off Zuko. "He'd run out of teeth eventually."

Toph smirked and clapped her hands a couple of times. "Well done Sokka."

"Just something I've been waiting to do for awhile," Sokka shrugged. He turned to the Prince, who spat blood onto the ground bitterly. "Trust me, there's worse to come."

"Oh no there's not!" Katara promised furiously, pivoting so that she stood between Sokka and Zuko. "It won't be easy, but if you two could just get along for a few short days then everything will be fine."

"You mean live a lie like you're doing?" Sokka challenged, turning his glinting eyes steely to Katara.

Katara glared back but couldn't find a rational response that would satisfy both Sokka and Zuko. Instead her eyes turned soft and she put a consoling hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"I know that these aren't the best circumstances, but-"

"Who are you?" Sokka spat, wrenching his shoulder away. "Did it only take a few months for them to break you?"

"I don't-" Katara began, her forehead creasing as she frowned in puzzlement.

"Look at you!" Sokka exploded, gesturing wildly up and down his sister. "You're dressing like them, you're telling me to respect him," he jerked an accusing finger over Katara's shoulder, "and you don't seem to be telling him to do anything!"

"Things have changed," Katara tried, her eyes widening and her face falling as she realized that Sokka wouldn't come to terms with things as easily as Toph had.

"Don't tell me you actually care for him," Sokka scoffed sarcastically.

When Katara didn't answer and looked away, Sokka's eyes filled with disgust and a snarl scarred his lips.

"Tell me you're not serious," he commanded Katara, a note of desperate pleading entering his eyes and voice.

"Sokka, it's not what you think," she pleaded, although it was exactly what he thought.

But those words were enough to confirm her brother's suspicions. With a snort of disbelief and fury, he stormed away, small clouds of dust flying up after his heavy feet slammed into the ground.

Katara clenched her eyes shut tightly and sighed. After a moment she felt Zuko's hand rest on her shoulder. She fought the desire to pull her shoulder away, the way Sokka had done with her. But her anger and frustration was with her brother, not her husband. She couldn't afford to alienate the one person who actually still liked her…aside from Toph, but the way she was facing the way Sokka had left and looking uncertain showed Katara where Toph's loyalties lay.

"Go after him," Katara told her quietly. "Try and calm him down."

"Are you sure?" Toph asked, although she was practically inching towards the Water Tribe warrior. "I can stay if you need me to."

"Just go," Zuko advised the Earthbender, looking at Katara with nothing but concern.

Toph looked hesitant for another moment, before pounding her legs forward and trying to catch up with Sokka.

"Well that went _well_!" Katara hissed sarcastically when they were alone, tears of anger quickly misting over her eyes.

"They just need time," Zuko assured, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. "They'll see how much I love you and they won't be able to be mad anymore."

"How's your mouth?" Katara asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Bleeding," Zuko shrugged. He raised a delicate finger and dabbed his mouth. He seemed pleasantly surprised when there was no blood. "Oh, not any more."

"I would've understood if you'd hit him back," Katara told him sincerely.

"But nobody else would've," Zuko explained gently. "You told me to stand there and let him hit me so I did."

"I was kidding."

"I know but it seemed fair enough considering I'll beat the hell out of him next time," he joked.

Katara was only able to smile slightly; she knew that there was no question about a _next time_.

Zuko cupped the side of her face in his hand. "There's no amount of pain in the world that would stop me from trying to make you happy. I'll do whatever it takes to win the respect of your family."

Katara lifted her head and looked into Zuko's eyes at length. While his were filled with certainty and affection, hers raged with indecision and sadness. Nothing this, he leaned in and let his lips brush hers softly. Katara pulled away, not meeting his eye anymore.

"That's probably not the best idea," she mumbled. "I need to go for a walk. I'll see you later?"

Zuko nodded curtly and watched the Waterbender walk away with a knot slowly forming in his already uneasy stomach. He wasn't looking forward to the day that Katara - and the rest of her family - found out about the war he had inadvertently started. It would only prove her family right about what they thought and show Katara once and for all that her husband could not be trusted.

* * *

Katara walked blindly towards the gardens. She stumbled over to the bench and sat down heavily. She knew that her family wouldn't react well but was sure that they'd see she was happy and accept - no matter how grudgingly - that her life was here now. It was often too hot, she didn't have much company, she spent days wandering around aimlessly. But still, it was home. Only how was she supposed to make her family understand that?

After an hour, she kicked her shoes off and lay bare-footed in the shadows of the trees by the pond. The cool blades of grass around her tickled her skin, whispering reassurances in the light breeze. Turtle-ducks quacked lazily every few minutes, splashing about in the cool water. All in all, the gardens were comforting and relaxed. Katara found her eyes closing and her mind drifting off…

* * *

"Katara?"

"Hmh?" Katara muttered unintelligibly, opening her dusty eyes to nightfall. "Huh. It's nighttime." She looked up and smiled. "Oh, hey Aika."

"Hello," Aika laughed. The laugh didn't quite meet her eyes, which were tense and worried.

"Are you here to wake me up or…?" Katara asked, weariness making her confused.

"Kind of," Aika nodded. "Prince Zuko and your family were wondering where you were."

"They didn't look very far," Katara frowned. "The gardens aren't exactly hidden."

"Actually, they haven't been looking for you much," Aika said uncomfortably. "Lady Toph and your grandmother have been trying to keep your father and brother away from Prince Zuko."

"Ah," Katara groaned, closing her eyes again. "Then I think I'll just go back to sleep. You're welcome to join me. The grass is very soft." She patted the empty space beside her lazily.

After a pause, Aika sat down next to Katara, who opened her eyes again and smiled at her friend. Her smile quickly turned to a worried frown as she noticed the tears sparkling in Aika's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked, sitting up and quickly putting an arm around the young woman.

"My mother is very sick," Aika whispered, her voice racked with pain. "I don't know if she'll be okay."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know. Some kind of internal illness…the village healers say that there's not much more that they can do."

"Village?" Katara repeated blankly.

"My family live in the village nearby," Aika clarified, wiping the tears from her soft cheeks. "I became a servant so that I could help them with money."

"Do you want to go and see her?" Katara asked gently. "You can have time off, it's no problem. You and Ryo and Kuzon go to visit your family."

"I can't take Kuzon to a place like my village…he's better off at the palace."

"Then why don't I look after him while you go?" Katara suggested, beaming.

"I can't ask you to-" Aika replied quickly, but Katara cut her off with a shake of her head and a wave of her hand.

"No, I want to. You won't be gone for that long. Zuko's crowning thing is tomorrow so I might have to ask one of the servants to look after Kuzon for then…"

"'Crowning thing?' Aika repeated, her amusement slowing down the tears. "You mean the coronation in which he's given the power to rule over the whole country?"

"Yeah, that," Katara nodded. "You go first thing tomorrow and leave the baby with me. I'll drop him back off at the servant quarters for the night."

"Wouldn't it just make more sense to leave Kuzon with the servants all day anyway?" Aika asked, puzzled. "You'd only have him for a few hours at best and you need to go through the ceremony."

"Okay…well can I look after him for a couple of hours in the morning anyway?" Katara asked. "I'd like some company that isn't split into two sides and that doesn't want to kill each other."

"Sure," Aika laughed. "I'll drop him off early tomorrow, okay?"

"Thanks!" Katara grinned, hugging her friend tightly. The mood turned somber again. "Do you want to take some herbs for your mother?"

"I don't think they'll have any effect," Aika murmured, fiddling with a stray strand of grass, darkened by the night.

Distant shouting made the pair glance up. Aika cocked her head in confusion, but Katara sighed and stood up.

"I think the next war has just arrived," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Gran Gran and Toph can't have been that successful. I'll see you tomorrow morning then."

Aika nodded and stood up also. Katara enveloped her in a brief hug before quickly running to the source of the noise.

A group of people were gathered in the entrance hall, most of them shout their heads off. Sokka and Hakoda were being restrained from launching themselves at Zuko by two guards, Toph was bellowing at Zuko who was and yelling back and Gran Gran just appeared to be shouting at all of them. A few curious servants hang about, clearly debating if they should run for more help or just watch the spectacle unfold. Most were choosing the latter option.

"Oh for the love of…" Katara muttered to herself, withdrawing a stream of water from her pouch and dousing all those involved in the war of the words. They all stopped shouting for a moment, clearly stunned by the sudden arrival of water. Then they all began shouting at Katara who just stood there in disbelief, particularly when her brother and father tried to hit Zuko again for daring to shout at his wife. The word 'hypocritical' sprang to mind.

"Seriously?" Katara asked in incredulity, although her rhetorical question was lost in the din that echoed loudly around the large hall.

"They've been like this for awhile," a nearby servant explained nervously, having to shout close to Katara's ear to be heard. "They've only just started getting louder though."

"Is there no way to stop them?" Katara shouted back.

"You're welcome to try," the servant joked.

Katara nodded and cleared her throat quietly before bellowing, "This is ridiculous!"

The water that had fallen to the floor from her previous attempt began to prick up into small icicles, something which everyone near them complained about.

"I understand that you'll have trouble getting along, but there's no sense in causing a scene like this in the middle of the damn palace!" Katara continued seething angrily. "You're embarrassing yourselves and you're embarrassing me!"

The group all looked away sulkily and muttered their insincere apologies to Katara who rolled her eyes. She supposed that was the best she was going to get.

"Right, I'm guessing that it's time for dinner?" she asked no one in particular. The servants all scattered quickly, remembering what they were supposed to be doing. "Then come on."

She set off for the dining room and sensed the others following reluctantly. Their footsteps fell behind her as she stormed on ahead, livid with everyone. There was really no cause to act like children in front of the whole palace.

Dinner was an awkward affair. Iroh - who would normally provide the conversation at times like these - was still bedridden so talk was scarce. However, everyone accepted the wine offered and chose to gulp that down instead of talk about what was really on their minds.

"This food looks spicy," Gran Gran commented suspiciously, glaring down at the offending piece of fish on her plate.

"It's the Fire Nation, it's all spicy," Katara joked. "It took me awhile to get used to the food as well, but I didn't really have a choice."

"You mean you were forced to eat food you didn't like?" Sokka jumped in immediately with an accusation.

"No, Sokka," Katara sighed, cutting up her fish in exasperation.

The table was quiet after that, except for a merry Toph's occasional suggestions of 'more drink anyone?'

* * *

After dinner, when Sokka, Hakoda and Zuko had stormed off to their separate rooms, Gran Gran, Toph and Katara walked around the gardens casually. They talked about the weather and life back in the South Pole but, just like at dinner, avoided the main topic. After a few minutes, Gran Gran sat down on the bench with the excuse that her feet were aching.

"So, Sugar Queen…" Toph started conversationally as they were walking away from the bench and its occupant. "You and Zuko done it yet?"

"Toph!" Katara hissed, startled and beginning to blush. "My grandmother is _right over there_!"

"Relax, Kana's good to talk about with these sorts of things," Toph shrugged.

"You've been talking to her about it?" Katara screeched, forgetting to keep her voice down. "Toph, that's-!"

"I was worried about you," Toph interrupted quietly. "I didn't know if Zuko would force you into anything or if there's some sort of Fire Nation rule that says that you have to on your wedding night."

Katara stopped walking and smiled down at her friend, touched. "Toph, that's really sweet. Thank you."

"No problem," Toph shrugged nonchalantly, back to her old self. "So, have you?"

"No," Katara admitted. "It's complicated."

"Other people manage it, it can't be that difficult. What, do you need a diagram or something?"

"I don't mean _that_," Katara hissed, her cheeks glowing rosy. "It's just…if we consummate the marriage then it's real, you know? I've really married the man who tore my life apart." She sighed heavily and leant against a nearby tree.

"You're still on a guilt trip about it?" Toph asked, although there was understanding instead of ridicule in her voice.

"I don't think I'll ever stop," Katara admitted sadly.

"You have to if you ever want to get on with your life," advised a wizened voice behind her.

"Gran Gran!" Katara jumped, her eyes growing wide as she tried and failed to make up an excuse about what they were talking about.

"I know what you're talking about," Gran Gran assured. "May I offer my advice?"

"Do you have to?" Katara cringed. "It's a little weird talking to you about this."

"How do you think your father got here?" Gran Gran asked, her white eyebrows raised. "I'm not completely inexperienced on the topic."

Katara nodded reluctantly.

"Do you love this Zuko?" Gran Gran asked.

"Yes," Katara mumbled.

"Are you ready to consummate your love?"

"Yes," Katara answered. The answer slipped out before she could even think, but it dawned on her that it was the truth. "Today he just stood there and let Sokka hit him. He told me afterwards that he'd go through any pain just to make me happy and he'd do whatever it took to get my family's respect. I just knew then that I wanted to share everything with him. But…"

"You're worried that you're disrespecting Aang's memory?" Gran Gran asked gently. When Katara nodded, she smiled sadly. "Katara, you can't live your life in the past. I know that you wouldn't have fallen in love with Zuko if you truly believed that he was responsible for the Avatar's death."

"Aang would've wanted you to be happy," Toph said quietly. "I know that he would have accepted Zuko if that's who you wanted to be with."

"But what about Sokka and Dad?" Katara fretted.

"I don't think they need to know just yet," Gran Gran said with a twinkle in her eyes. "But they'll accept your choice if they love you, which I know they do. They just want you to be happy and safe."

"Speaking of, be careful," Toph reminded her friend. "I'm not ready to become an auntie yet."

"And you think I'm ready to become a mother?" Katara asked with a smile, feeling as though a weight had been lifted now that she had assurances from her closest friend and grandmother that she wasn't a horrible person.

"Go," Gran Gran urged. "Be happy."

"Thank you," Katara whispered, hugging both of them tightly before sprinting back to the palace.

"Told you she'd listen," Toph said smugly.

"As long as she's happy," Gran Gran smiled.

"I think she will be."

* * *

Katara raced through the palace, eager to tell Zuko what she had just realized. How hadn't she seen it before?

He was and always would be her everything. She reached the bedroom in less time than she'd anticipated and suddenly stopped, wondering what on earth she was meant to say now. She could voice her thoughts and feelings and risk sounding incredibly stupid or she could just let Zuko get the message in his own time. Or she could just turn around now and pretend that nothing had happened.

But suddenly the door opened.

"Katara?" Zuko frowned in confusion, standing shirtless in the doorway. "Why are you just standing there?"

Her heart suddenly pounding nervously, Katara smiled wordlessly and slipped past him into the room. Zuko turned to face her, staring worriedly at her as though she had sprouted tentacles. Katara took a deep breath and kissed him. She felt the incomprehension as his lips moved against hers and it didn't help her nerves any. She pulled away slightly and stretched out her arm, all the while looking at Zuko intently. Her fingers found the lock on the door and turned it, ensuring their privacy.

"Oh," Zuko said, as it dawned on him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Katara replied with conviction. "I love you."

"I love you too," Zuko replied hesitantly as Katara took his hand gently and walked towards their bed. "But I don't want you to feel pressured."

"I don't," Katara assured him as she sat down on the covers. Zuko sat down next to her, his hand still in Katara's grasp. "I'm ready." Her eyes suddenly widened. "Unless you're not which is fine."

Zuko kissed her deeply, answering her question without the use of words. His hand caressed her face, keeping the other hand entwined with hers. Katara let her mind take over as she tentatively but surely felt for the buttons that ran down her back and kept her dress in place. She struggled with the first one, managed the second but found the third utterly stuck.

"Do you want some help with that?" Zuko asked, his voice husky and amused.

"Damn buttons," Katara muttered. "Please."

Zuko had undone half of the buttons - his warm hands moving steadily against her back - before he stopped and frowned. Katara's heart leapt; had he changed his mind? Did he not want her anymore?

"You're not doing this to get back at Sokka are you?" he asked, hurt dampening his fiery eyes as he considered the possibility.

"You're talking about my brother at a time like this?" Katara asked, leaning back at surveying Zuko suspiciously. "Should I be worried?"

"Should I?" Zuko asked. "If we do this I want it to be for love. Not revenge."

"It is for love," Katara promised. "I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. You make me feel safe and wanted and I don't want to imagine life without you."

"Good, because I was planning on sticking around for awhile."

His hands moved slowly down the soft skin of her back, pausing only to unfasten the rest of the buttons. He kissed her every so often, savoring the taste of her lips on his. He gently lay her down on the bed, only mildly surprised when she tenderly pulled him down on top of her.

That night brought true unity to the couple. A unity of bodies, of souls and of power.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Don't ask me what the hell is up with the last line, I have no idea XD It's really difficult to write something that suggests sex without it sounding clichéd or cheesy. **

**Anyway,****hope you all enjoyed the chapter. It was fun to write, although I'm also looking forward to writing the next one! **

**As much as I'm trying **_**not **_**to smother you all with Nightwish, this really was the only song I could think of that talked about romance and sex without vulgar terms or swearwords. It's a very beautiful song in my opinion. To anyone who knows what I'm on about, do you think Tuomas wrote this song for Tarja?**

**Thank you so much to my reviewers, both anonymous and non-anonymous (ha, that word is really fun to say)! And to my story/author alerts and favorites, and my readers. You're all appreciated very much.**

**I know that a lot of you want to know what the deal with the war Zuko kind of started (okay, so it's all his fault) and over the course of the next couple of chapters, you'll find out. Patience is a virtue and all that.**

**Three more exams to go! Best of luck to everyone with exams to do.**

**Oh yeah, and only 38 days to go until 'The Southern Raiders' airs!**

**Have a great week,**

**- Momo**


	24. Get Out Alive

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Don't put your life in someone's hands, they're bound to steal it away. Don't hide your mistakes, 'cause they'll find you…burn you. If you want to get out alive, run for your life. If I stay, it won't be long 'til I'm burning on the inside. If I go, I can only hope that I'll make it to the other side._

- Get Out Alive _by _Three Days Grace

* * *

A loud, insistent knocking on the door woke the reluctant couple. Weak sunlight struggled against the closed curtains, showing that dawn had barely broken.

"Katara, make them go away," Zuko instructed sleepily. However, he pulled her closer in his arms as though he wanted to stay like that forever.

"Let go of me and I will," Katara laughed, equally as tired. When neither of them moved, she shrugged. "Or we can just wait for them to go away."

The bed covers hugged the couple intimately, seconding the wish for them to stay together. The door - or rather, the person outside of the door - didn't comply and continued banging heavily. Katara groaned and sat up, dragging the covers up to her chest to preserve her modesty. She glanced at Zuko, who sighed and sat up himself, his bare chest shuddering slightly as it was released from the warm covers and cast into the comparative coldness of the room.

"I'm going to have a wash," he announced, pulling on a stray pair of pants before kissing Katara lightly on her lips. "You should get dressed before you open the door. If it's your brother then he'll probably castrate me."

Katara laughed, although she knew this was true. As the knocking became more frenzied, she scrabbled around for the dress she had been wearing last night and quickly pulled it on as Zuko disappeared into the bathroom. Half-stumbling towards the door, she finally reached it and yanked it open. Aika was stood there, her impatience immediately being replaced with shock at Katara's abruptness.

"Hey Aika," Katara smiled, her eyes flicking to the baby that her friend cradled and frowning. "Oh I'm sorry, I completely forgot!"

"But you're still okay to take him, right?" Aika asked, a mother's worry entering her voice sharply. "Only the servants can only take him in the afternoon and-"

"No, no it's fine," Katara assured. "Hi baby Kuzon," she cooed to the small bundle with a shock of black hair. She continued talking to the baby in baby-language, before straightening up and glancing at Aika, who was staring at her.

"What?" Katara asked self-consciously.

"You're wearing the same dress you were wearing last night," Aika pointed out, a slow smile spreading on her lips.

"So?" Katara asked, her heart speeding up at the thought that Aika had rumbled them already.

"So did anything interesting happen last night?" Aika asked, her eyebrows raising as she grinned.

"N-not really," Katara lied.

"Come on Katara, you're practically glowing."

"Okay, maybe something-"

"I knew it!" Aika shrieked excitedly. Kuzon grumbled as his mommy jostled him slightly.

"Keep your voice down," Katara begged, glancing fearfully up and down the deserted hallway. "If Sokka or my father find out…"

"I won't tell them," Aika promised. "So…how was it?"

Katara thought about this for a moment before answering. "Kind of painful actually."

"Don't worry about that, it gets better. Did you take any herbs for preventing pregnancy?"

Katara's eyes widened and she swore loudly. Aika covered Kuzon's ears before shooting Katara a reproachful look. But the Waterbender was too busy cursing under her breath.

"It's not like I wasn't going to," she explained rapidly. "It's just that it all happened really fast and-" At Aika's raised eyebrows, she stopped herself and quickly started again. "Oh, not _that _part. I meant the part that led up to it. The herbs are somewhere in the room but I didn't take them and now what if I get pregnant? Oh Gods, I'm not ready to become a mother! And Sokka will kill me and my father-"

"Katara, calm down," Aika soothed slowly. "I'm sure if you take some herbs now then they'll have some effect."

"You think?" Katara asked in a small voice.

Aika nodded. "I do. Now if you don't mind taking Kuzon so I can go…"

"Of course," Katara smiled, feeling a lot better.

Aika kissed her baby on the top of his pale head and then carefully passed him to Katara.

"Okay, so he's had his feed this morning and he had a good night's sleep last night so he should be okay. But if he's fussy or hungry or anything, then just drop him off with the servants," Aika rattled off. "Be a good boy until Mommy and Daddy come back," she instructed her boy before addressing Katara again. "I swear I won't tell anyone about you and Zuko. But honestly, you haven't done anything to be ashamed of."

"I know," Katara agreed. "I just don't want people finding out yet."

With one last understanding smile and hug for her friend, Aika set off down the corridor. Katara watched her go before cradling Kuzon gently and taking him inside. She shut the door with a soft snap just as Zuko left the bathroom, still shirtless and his raven hair dripping wet. He cut off what he was about to say when he saw Katara and the baby she cradled.

"…How long was I in there for?" he asked, staring in horror at the bundle in Katara's arms.

Katara laughed at Zuko's expression. "Don't worry, this is Aika's son. Her mother's sick so I offered to look after Kuzon whilst she and Ryo visited her."

"Who's doing what with huh?" Zuko asked after a pause, completely bewildered and still staring at the baby.

Katara fully explained the story, amused at how panicky Zuko was at seeing the baby. Kuzon wriggled about until he was comfortable then drifted back off to sleep, his perfectly tiny fingers curling around into a small fist. Katara examined his fingernails, amazed that something could be so small. When she had finished speaking and watching Kuzon in wonder, she glanced back to Zuko. His expression was unreadable.

"This really scares you, doesn't it?" she frowned, all traces of joking gone. "Me with a baby."

"It isn't just _you _with a baby," Zuko assured her quickly. "It's _you_ with _my _baby."

Katara's eyes flashed with hurt. Zuko put his hands up swiftly and defensively.

"I don't mean it like that," he explained hurriedly. "Of course I want us to have children…just not yet. I don't trust myself to bring up a baby and not completely mess up its life."

Katara smiled softly. "I'm sure you wouldn't."

"Have you seen my role model?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrow. "If the child turned out to be anything other than a psychopath then I'd consider it a miracle."

"We all would," Katara laughed. Then, noticing Zuko's scowl, "Okay, not ready to joke about it yet."

The talk of children reminded Katara about taking the herbs to prevent pregnancy. She wasn't about to openly admit that she hadn't taken any last night and so made excuses to go to the bathroom, handing Zuko baby Kuzon and then slipping the vial of herbs into her pocket swiftly.

"Try not to drop him," Katara smiled, briefly watching her husband holding the baby as though it would blow up at any moment.

"What if he starts crying?" Zuko asked, holding Kuzon at arms length uncertainly.

Katara approached Zuko and gently drew Kuzon into his chest, showing him how to hold the baby carefully and lovingly. She stroked the tufts of black hair on Kuzon's head softly as Zuko knelt his head against hers gently. To an outsider, they seemed like a family. Realizing this, Katara pulled away.

"Right, I should go before I start getting broody," she teased. She rolled her eyes at Zuko's naked panic and sighed. "Not ready to joke about that either, huh?"

She escaped the scene into the bathroom and shut the door tightly behind her. She drew water from the taps and took a swift drink, steeling herself to take the herbs. Was she supposed to mix them up in food or take them with water? She really could do with an instruction manual…

"Here goes," she muttered, uncorking the vial, taking another swig of water and throwing back the herbs. They caught in the back of her throat uncomfortably but she choked them back. She summoned more water into her mouth and drenched any remaining herbs to make them slip down her throat. She shuddered and winced at the thought of having to do that again.

Glancing around and realizing that she had no clothes to change into, she groaned and opened the door again.

"Forgot my-" she began, before cutting off at the sight of Zuko cradling the baby closely to his pale chest. His eyes were still uncertain but a small smile played on his lips as he watched Kuzon's every move. He glanced up sharply when he heard Katara and tried to look as though he hadn't just been bonding with a baby that wasn't his.

"I was-"

"None of my business," Katara smiled. "I just need to get some clothes. Please, as you were."

"I didn't want him to be cold," Zuko protested as Katara drew out her clothes for the day.

"Okay," Katara shrugged, unable to stop herself from smiling.

"I'm serious!" Although his words suggested insistence, Katara noted that he didn't raise his voice so as not to disturb the baby.

"I know," Katara nodded patronizingly. "I'm going to get ready."

"If you tell anyone…" Zuko threatened quietly.

"Your status as the big bad would be ruined," Katara laughed. "I understand."

Zuko muttered inaudibly as Katara left the room, still grinning. She bathed and dressed quickly although they weren't expected to even be awake for another couple of hours yet.

Or so she thought.

The moment she had relieved Zuko of his baby-holding responsibilities, there was a knock on the door. It was short and impatient and Katara immediately knew who it would be. Balancing Kuzon on her hip, she opened the door tentatively. Sure enough, her family and Toph stood in the doorway. Sokka and her father stood at the front, both staring at her.

"Good morning?" she tried, puzzled at their expressions. Then she glanced at the sleeping baby in her arms and suddenly understood. Unfortunately, it didn't seem as though her brother and father did.

"You had a baby?!" Sokka screeched, his hands flailing wildly as he tried to comprehend this.

"Sokka, do the math," Katara sighed, shielding the now wailing baby from possible harm. "I haven't even been _gone _for nine months. When did I have time to have a baby?"

"You had a baby?!" Sokka repeated, evidently ignoring Katara's logic and substituting his own. "That's it, Fire Boy is so dead!"

He barged into the room, not even noticing as Katara stepped out of the way quickly, muttering angrily under her breath. Sokka glared at Zuko and withdrew the boomerang from its holder.

"Sokka, that's enough!" Katara shouted. "You do realize you're being completely ridiculous? Just because you have issues with Zuko, don't make stupid excuses up! Also there's a baby - _who isn't mine_- in the room and you're scaring him!"

Katara's family looked at her warily, unused to her outbursts. She glared back, absently rocking Kuzon gently until he got back to sleep.

"The baby…isn't yours?" Hakoda asked suspiciously.

"No," Katara confirmed. "He's a friend of mine who had to go on an errand. What, did you think that Fire Nation babies take less time to be born than regular babies?"

Sokka had the grace to blush as he turned back to his sister. "Course not. We were just worried."

"Uh huh," Katara answered, unconvinced.

"Sorry?" Sokka tried sheepishly.

"I'm not the one who you almost attacked," Katara frowned, indicating Zuko.

"No way." Sokka's voice was hard. "_I'm _supposed to apologize to _him_? When he hasn't said anything about the past few years? He doesn't seem to think that he's done anything wrong!"

All eyes now turned to Zuko. Katara was worried; she hadn't wanted a confrontation at all, but especially not this early on in the visit. Her loyalties were torn and once again she wondered who she would choose if she had the chance to go back to the South Pole.

"I know what I did was wrong," Zuko started, lifting his eyes earnestly and meeting Sokka's. "More than wrong. Unforgivable. But…I've changed. I know you won't believe that but it's the truth."

"Yeah, and is that _the_ truth or _your_ truth?" Sokka asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"They're the same thing," Zuko assured him. "I was confused back then but now everything's clear. I've made my peace with Katara-" all eyes swiveled to Katara and then back again to Zuko after she nodded "-and I hope you'll all let me try and make it with you too."

The room was silent. Katara held her breath. Could her family really forgive Zuko?

"Touching, but not nearly as impressive as Azula's speeches," Sokka snarled, giving Katara her answer. "You should really work on them if you want to lie to us again."

"He isn't lying," Katara said quietly, vouching for her husband.

"Katara, please stay out of this."

To everyone's surprise, it was Zuko and not Sokka or Hakoda who spoke calmly.

"But you just-" Katara started indignantly before nodding. "Fine."

_I guess he needs to convince my family without my help, _she thought. Sokka glanced at her in disgust, wondering since when she'd just dropped something whenever someone told her to. She met his eyes steadily to show that she was still the same.

"Would you let me explain my version of what happened that day?" Zuko implored to the group. "Toph can tell if I'm lying."

"Save your breath," Sokka snarled. "I'm going down to breakfast." He turned to his family. "Are you coming with me?"

Katara watched sadly as her family and Toph filed out. Hakoda paused at the door and turned to Zuko with a deep frown.

"Get a shirt on, boy. If I ever find you in my daughter's room like that again then you'll wish I had let Sokka kill you." He turned to his daughter. "Are you coming, Katara?"

Katara cast an uncertain look towards Zuko which her father caught.

"I'm asking you, not him," he reminded her in a cold voice, his blue eyes glinting like steel.

"Spend some time with your family," Zuko told Katara quietly. "I have some things I need to take care of anyway."

Katara nodded. "Do you think I should drop Kuzon back off with the servants?"

"Why don't you let Uncle see him first? He probably needs some cheering up," Zuko suggested.

"Maybe another time," Katara replied nervously. "I think it's best that a baby not be caught in the middle of everything. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye," Zuko murmured as Katara and her father left. "Good luck."

* * *

"We haven't really had a chance to talk yet," Hakoda mused as they walked down the corridor, his anger seemingly vanished. "How's my little girl been?"

"Alright, thank you," Katara answered. "What about you? How's life back at the South Pole?"

"Don't you mean 'back home'?" Hakoda asked. Beneath the irritation in his voice was confusion and hurt.

"Yes," Katara answered, too quickly. "Yeah, of course I did."

"Things are fine," Hakoda said, choosing to ignore what he assumed was a mistake. "Old man Kei just had his annual penguin racing competition."

"He's still doing that?" Katara laughed. "You would've thought he'd at least do a penguin _sledding _competition where people can join in."

She glanced up to see Hakoda staring down at her.

"What?" she asked self-consciously, her laughter dying.

"Nothing, it's just good to hear you laugh," He replied quietly, looking straight ahead of him.

"Oh," Katara said, equally inaudibly. "I guess I'm just happy to have everyone together again."

"Not everyone," Hakoda said pointedly, testing how far he could push his daughter.

"Dad, not now okay?"

"Sorry. It's just…I've not even been with you for a whole day and I can see that you've changed. I need to know that my daughter is still in there."

"Of course I'm still here," Katara frowned. "I've not changed that much."

"You're wearing red," Hakoda pointed out.

"I like the color," Katara shrugged.

"You've got your hair differently."

"It's good to have a change of style every so often."

"You're not wearing your mother's necklace." This observation was difficult to hear even in the stillness of the corridor.

"I know." She delved into a small pocket of her dress and withdrew the necklace, all the while trying to balance Kuzon on her hip. "But that doesn't mean I don't carry it around with me all the time. I'm trying to fashion it into a bracelet but it isn't going so great."

"Can I take a look at it?" Hakoda asked. "Maybe try and do something?"

"Of course," Katara nodded, handing him the necklace delicately.

The pair continued walking in silence as Hakoda examined the necklace, touching it softly and briefly remembering his wife.

"I'll say this for the boy, at least he stuck to the Water Tribe culture when it came to marriage," Hakoda said gruffly.

"He's not as bad as you think."

"I suppose we'll find that out for ourselves."

"You will," Katara promised. "Just give him a chance to prove himself."

Hakoda didn't reply. Katara was unsure if this was a good or bad thing so also remained silent until the pair reached the dining hall. The guards posted outside seemed to be trying to calm down the group that was already there.

"_What do you mean you can't let us in_?" Sokka was bellowing, the natural tan on his face clashing with the newly arrived angry red blotches. He heard Katara approaching and turned to her furiously. "Can you believe this? These idiots won't let us in!"

"Lady Katara, we are under orders to-"

"It's fine," Katara waved off their explanation, soothing the frightened baby as she did. She glanced at Sokka. "There are rules in the Fire Nation palace. One of them is not entering the dining room without the Fire Lord - or next in line to the throne - present." She paused. "I'm guessing that extends to me. I'm not really clear on that yet."

"You may enter, Lady Katara," the guard confirmed with an uncertain glance at Kuzon. "Would you like me to take the baby off your hands?"

"Take him to the servants' quarters please," Katara nodded, carefully unloading the squirming baby. She turned to the rest of the group. "Are you ready?"

They were all staring at her.

"Your eyeballs will pop out if you keep doing that," Katara informed them testily. Why did everyone keep looking at her like that? Had she committed some sort of heinous crime that she had been unaware of?

"Since when did you just give away babies to strangers?" Sokka asked, his eyes alight with genuine worry and confusion.

As his words rang true, Katara glanced behind herself quickly. He was right, she should've taken Kuzon herself. "He wasn't a stranger," she attempted feebly. "He's a guard."

"And what's his name?" Sokka asked skeptically.

"…Guardy?" Katara tried, feeling immensely bad that she didn't know the name of the man she saw on a regular basis. It was the type of thing Zuko would do, only he had been brought up not to pay heed to those of a lesser station than he. In fact, Katara doubted that he even knew her name half the time they were fighting back in the old days. But she had been brought up better and should care about everyone, regardless of what they worked as. Was the Fire Nation turning her into a generic princess who was pretty and kind to everyone but didn't really bother with them further than keeping up appearances?

"It doesn't matter, let's just eat," Toph suggested, sensing how distressed Katara was.

"Okay," Katara replied weakly. She led the way into the grand dining hall and took her usual seat. She was unable to shake the unsettled feeling that had rested in the pit of her stomach.

"It's a little grand for breakfast isn't it?" Sokka frowned, gesturing at the lavishly decorated room and the servants who carried the food to the table.

"Shut up and eat," Toph told him. "And if you complain about how spicy it is again, I'll give you something to complain about."

"Someone's a little ratty," Katara teased, helping herself to dried oats and fruit like she did every morning. "You not get a good sleep last night?"

"It was bad," Toph replied shortly. "I don't know what they stuff the mattresses with here-"

"Probably daggers," Sokka muttered.

"-but I was really uncomfortable," Toph finished, ignoring Sokka.

"I'll arrange it so you can swap rooms," Katara promised, ladling yoghurt into her bowl and mixing it about.

"You do that," Toph said grumpily, biting down viciously into an apple.

"What about everyone else?" Katara asked the table, holding back a smile at Toph's attitude.

"I'm with Toph. What's the deal with the beds here?" Sokka asked with a scowl as he piled food onto his plate.

"Maybe it's because they're comfortable," Katara muttered. It annoyed her that her family picked at little things.

"The sun rises really early here," Hakoda noted, picking out a selection of nuts and chewing them gingerly.

"It _is _summer," Katara shrugged. She glanced at her grandmother. "Gran Gran? You got anything to add about?"

"Katara, we're not insulting the palace," Gran Gran said soothingly. "But while you mention it, yes. I'd like to know why you get to share a room with a handsome young man whilst I must sleep alone."

Sokka and Hakoda made loud noises of disapproval but Katara and Toph laughed.

"You have to have been here for a few months before you get privileges like that," Katara smiled.

"Privilege?" Sokka snorted. "More like punishment."

"To keep the world out of war," Katara reminded her brother. "It's worth it. If you'd have heard Zuko out before then maybe-"

"We'd have swallowed the same lies that you have?" Sokka finished.

"You'd know the truth," Katara corrected through gritted teeth. She sighed heavily after a moment. "I don't want to start the day like this. Just forget about it for now."

* * *

"It isn't something that I can just forget about!" Zuko growled harshly, making the Council members subconsciously shrink back. "I started a war! It won't just go away overnight!"

"But, my Lord, what about Lady Katara's family?" one brave member piped up. "Won't they help us fight?"

"It isn't looking good," Zuko sighed angrily. "Despite Katara's…influences, I don't think they'll like me anytime soon, let alone fight for my country."

"But Lady Katara will and surely they will fight to protect one of their own?" another member asked, leaning back into his seat as Zuko looked at him.

"I don't think they're particularly thrilled with her right now either," he informed the Council at large. "But no one wants another war - apart from, apparently, those idiots in the Earth Kingdom - so that will work to our advantage."

"Forgive me, my Lord, but I don't understand why we're so worried," one of the more confident members said, his cool voice calming against the previous shouting and frustration. "After all, the - Crusaders, was it? - are only one group of vigilantes. They descend from a few villages in a war-torn country and have ridiculous notions of revenge in their heads. We can crush them easily without even making a dent in what's left of our army."

The Council members looked at each other with eyes filled with excitement and hope. Zuko hated to be the one to take that away from them, but it was his job.

"That's true but the Crusaders are likely to get more and more support from villages and towns and even cities that they pass on their way to the Fire Nation. Everyone wants their slice of vengeance and honor now that the war is over. There are those who wish to reignite the spark-" he glanced at the Council members who had meekly suggested just this "-and wipe out the rest of the world once and for all. But balance is essential. Which is why we cannot let the Crusaders gain sympathizers, swell in numbers and cause another war like the one that has just raged."

"So are you suggesting that we cut them off before they do just that?" the member closest to Zuko asked.

"If we do that we'd never reach the Earth Kingdom shores alive," Zuko mused. "But if we met them halfway…neither side would have the advantage, of course, being in the middle of the ocean. But if I-"

"You're not thinking of going to the battle yourself are you?" one member asked, scandalized. Zuko looked up to see the whole table staring at him in horror.

"Of course," he replied, confused. "I thought that was obvious."

"But…but you have armies that you can control and…!"

"It's far too dangerous for royal blood to go-!"

"It isn't worth it just for a battle this small!"

Zuko sat there in silence, letting the arguments for him to stay wash over him. When the frenzy had died down, he sat up straighter.

"My father sent out soldiers by the hundred and look how that turned out," he pointed out. "Of course, due to the disadvantage, I will bring soldiers along with me but I won't send them out by themselves. It is my country and my honor to defend it."

The table sat silently as the speech finished. Then one voice voiced what the others were thinking.

"Forgive me, but what's the disadvantage? Your wife is the most powerful Waterbender in the entire Fire Nation, surely she could just-"

"She isn't going," Zuko interrupted coldly. "I won't risk her life over something that I could've prevented."

"You would have her family fight-"

"And it would be regrettable if anything happened to them," Zuko finished in the calm, calculating voice that his father and sister often used.

"Lady Katara won't stay back willingly."

"Perhaps not, but she will stay back," Zuko promised. "If anything happened to her…the future of the Fire Nation, the birth of my heirs, would be thrown into disarray."

The Council members were forced to agree upon this. They sat with their heads huddled, discussing matters quietly. Zuko was glad that he had mentioned the Fire Nation's future, although of course that wasn't what he was concerned about. If Katara lost her life then he wouldn't be able to live with himself. The guilt alone would kill him and if it didn't then his heartache would finish the job. He didn't care if Katara spent a few weeks hating him, there was no way she was going to battle. They would manage easily without her and then the whole debacle would be over. He would not risk losing her over something like this.

"When will you inform the others of the war?" a voice asked, pulling Zuko out of his thoughts.

"When I'm ready," Zuko answered. It was the type of vague thing that would annoy him whenever someone spoke to him like that, but it was the truth. There was no way that he was telling anyone without thinking long and hard about how exactly was supposed to explain that he caused another war, no matter how inadvertent it was.

The next few hours were spent discussing tactics and advantages and disadvantages of certain plans. Nothing more was said about Katara, although Zuko knew that the Council thought he was being foolish. Ruling with his heart rather than his head. Well every other Fire Nation ruler - except Uncle Iroh - had ruled with his head and now they were all dead. It was time to try something new.

"Let's leave it here for today," Zuko said loudly. His head had started to drum two and a half hours ago and now it felt like his skull would burst. "As always, don't let anything discussed here leave these walls. Especially not to Katara or her family."

Chairs scraped back and men bowed to Zuko before a chatter rose and the men left.

"It's a pity Shay Ne wasn't here," Zuko heard one member mutter. "He would've known what to do."

His friend shrugged. "He always misses these things."

Not knowing or caring who Shay Ne was, Zuko sighed heavily as the last of the men left, leaving an empty war room. He leant back into his chair and closed his eyes.

Things weren't going as well as he had hoped.

* * *

The day had been going surprisingly well. After breakfast, Katara had given her family a short tour of the palace. Zuko wasn't mentioned for better or for worse. Once she had settled her family in the gardens in the inviting sunlight, she excused herself and went to visit Iroh. To her delight, he seemed well enough to walk around. Although she was still angry with him for lying to her about invading the Water Tribe, she couldn't help but laugh when he expressed a direct interest in meeting her grandmother.

"Why don't you join us for dinner this evening?" she suggested, placing the flowers picked from the gardens she had brought him in a nearby vase. She fingered the petals gently and decided that they could do with watering.

"Are you sure I will be welcome?" Iroh asked cautiously, watching Katara gently water the flowers with liquid from her pouch.

"Does it bother you if you aren't?"

When Iroh sighed heavily, Katara turned to him with a sad smile.

"As far as my brother and father are concerned, you're the reason that I'm here. You threatened to destroy their homes," she reminded him.

"Don't you mean _your_ home?" Iroh asked, his thick gray eyebrows raising.

"Why does everyone keep picking up on that?" Katara grumbled, shoving the vase back onto the desk a little more harshly than she had intended to.

"I would be glad to join you this evening," Iroh smiled, ignoring Katara's immediate question and answering her earlier one. "And if you can assure my immunity to your family, even better."

"I don't think anyone can assure that," Katara laughed, her irritableness gone. "I'd try, but I'll be too busy shielding Zuko from repeated boomerang attacks."

"I take it your father, brother and grandmother haven't quite warmed up to him yet then?"

"Gran Gran's fine with him," Katara shrugged. "She's a little cold at times, but overall she wants me to be happy." There was a pause. "Not that Sokka and my father don't!" She corrected hurriedly, still messing with the flowers agitatedly. "They just want what's best for me. I understand why they don't think it's good for me here, but…"

There was a silence as Katara trailed off with a sigh. How was she supposed to explain this? Her mood was rapidly decreasing. She had barely seen Zuko today. A small part of her worried it was because of what had happened last night. Had she done something wrong? Maybe she should've taken up Toph's sarcastic suggestion of an instruction booklet.

"You should get back to your family before you demolish the beautiful flowers you brought me," Iroh joked softly, breaking Katara out of her reverie. "Agni only knows what they'll get up to unattended. No offense."

"None taken," Katara shrugged. "It's true."

She and Iroh laughed before she bade him farewell and left the room. It had still been dark in there so as not to cause Iroh any headaches and she squinted slightly as the light of the corridor rushed to embrace her. She ambled back to the gardens slowly, taking the long route just in case she ran into Zuko along the way. He was bound to be somewhere along here. Sure enough, she spotted a tall, lean figure exiting a room the floor above the gardens. She called his name and ran towards him.

"There you are!" Zuko smiled, enveloping her in his arms tightly and kissing her on the crown of her head. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"You looked everywhere apart from the one place I'd most obviously be," Katara smiled. "Apart from in your arms, I mean. The gardens."

"I checked there," Zuko told her, unfolding his arms and taking her hand in his. They began walking slowly. "Your family was there."

"Did you say anything to them?" Katara asked, glancing up at her husband as happiness washed through her. He didn't seem awkward or embarrassed at all.

"Actually I hid," Zuko grinned sheepishly.

Katara laughed. "The act of a great leader."

"Are you saying that you wouldn't run and hide from _my _family?" Zuko challenged, squeezing her hand gently.

"There was running?" Katara asked, amused.

"There may have been," Zuko said, fighting a smile of his own. "Where are we going now?"

"I was going to be with my family some more but if you're too afraid…" Katara trailed off lightly.

"I'm sure I can deal with them," Zuko said, mock-solemnly.

They walked to the gardens slowly, either chatting about unimportant things or just enjoying each other's company. When they reached the gardens, Sokka was sharpening his boomerang.

"I've changed my mind, let's go back," Zuko said, stopping suddenly.

"Zuko-"

"I'm kidding," Zuko smiled, a sight which took Katara's breath away. "Come on.

Sokka glanced up in interest as he heard footsteps approach, but his expression darkened considerably when he saw who it was. Hakoda put a pacifying hand on his son's arm, silently telling him not to cause any trouble.

"Iroh okay?" Toph asked casually, breaking the thick tension. Katara sat down next to her in the shade of the largest tree next to the pond, practically dragging Zuko down with her.

"Yeah," Katara nodded. "He's joining us for dinner tonight."

"Good," Toph smiled slightly. "I missed the old guy. Glad to hear he's not dead."

"Why would he be dead?" Hakoda frowned, leaning forward from the tree trunk to look at his daughter.

"He wasn't very well the last time Toph visited," Katara informed her father. "Nothing more than a slight infection, but you know how Toph exaggerates."

Her shaky laugh didn't convince anyone but apart from a couple of raised eyebrows no one pushed the matter. Toph however nudged her friend sharply in the sides.

"I'll tell you later," Katara muttered quietly in her friend's ear, brushing away her dark hair so that Toph could hear better.

"So Zuko," Sokka started after a moment in a friendly tone that immediately put Katara on edge. "It's a nice day. Why aren't you out killing small children and their mothers? Or did you do that yesterday?"

Zuko stiffened beside Katara but otherwise didn't react. Katara put a placating hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"At least he's using your name," she murmured as some sort of consolation.

"Yeah, that's definitely a plus," Zuko replied bitterly.

The light sniping and insults went on for the rest of the afternoon. Zuko didn't respond to any of them in a way that would offend Sokka until Sokka crossed the line.

"It's a shame that Katara will never get to meet your mother," Sokka mused, picking at his nails. "From what I've heard she was a good woman. But I don't see it. How could she have been after raising her kids the way she did? Looking at the way you and Azula turned out, she deserved everything she got."

Zuko leapt up quicker than Katara could restrain him and stormed over to the other side of the tree, his fists literally blazing. Katara scrambled up and followed him hastily.

"Zuko, don't!" she shouted, pulling back on his arm as he faced Sokka, who had also stood up quickly.

"Take it back," Zuko spat at Sokka, ignoring Katara.

"Why should I?" Sokka growled back, reaching for his weapon.

"You need a reason?" Zuko asked, breaking free of Katara and raising his flaming fists. "I have two!"

"Zuko!" Katara shouted, standing next to Sokka and trying to attract her husband's attention. "Stop it! Please!"

"You're going to hurt me to make your point?" Sokka snarled. "How original."

"Sokka!" Katara berated helplessly. "Both of you, just leave it!"

The heat and fury radiating from Zuko was getting too much to handle but Katara couldn't let either young man harm the other. She loved them both too much. She was about to draw water from the pond but a gentle hand on her arm stopped her.

"Maybe it's best for them to fight it out," Gran Gran suggested.

"No way!" Katara snapped. "They'll both end up hurt or worse." She stood near the two young warriors. "You two! Stop this idiocy and sort out your differences like men!"

"Apologize and I won't hurt you," Zuko told Sokka coldly.

"Take back the past four years and I won't hurt you," Sokka replied with equal chilliness.

Katara rolled her eyes at their stubbornness. It really was ridiculous. Neither could do what the other suggested.

"Sokka, I really think you should apologize," Hakoda said. "Insulting his mother was inexcusable."

"You've been winding him up all day," Toph agreed. "Time to give it a rest. Just apologize, Snoozles, and then we can get some dinner."

"Fine." Sokka stepped back, never breaking eye contact. "I'm sorry."

Zuko nodded in smug satisfaction and extinguished his fists but Sokka wasn't finished.

"I'm sorry that I didn't kill you when I had the chance. I won't be making that mistake again."

Zuko opened his mouth angrily before shaking his head and closing it again.

"You're pathetic," he told the Water Tribe warrior, enunciating every syllable. "You were no match for me then and you are no match for me now."

"Zuko, don't-" Katara started. Zuko turned to her, his golden eyes chips of ice.

"Don't force me to make you choose between us," he threatened before walking off, his raven hair whipping angrily around his head in the cool twilight breeze.

"Sokka, are you okay?" Gran Gran asked, putting an arm around Katara ask she spoke and giving her a comforting half-hug.

"I'm fine," Sokka muttered. "That son of a bitch will get what's coming to him though."

"Please don't cause trouble," Katara murmured, watching Zuko leave with a sad expression.

"And watch your language," Hakoda advised.

The silence was heavier than the wind and not nearly as brief as it washed over them all. Strands of mahogany hair tickled Katara's cheeks but she couldn't muster the strength to wipe them away. Zuko had played on her fear - although of course he didn't know the extent of it.

"There's something we've been meaning to ask you, Katara," Hakoda said after a moment.

Even before Katara's cerulean eyes met her father's similar yet less haunted ones, she knew what he was going to ask.

"We want you to come back to the South Pole with us," Sokka interrupted before his father could say anything. "We want you to come home."

And there it was. The question she knew was coming and yet dreaded anyway. Because now she had to make a decision.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey…remember me? I'm sorry that I left it longer than usual to update. My exams finished and I pretty much just slothed out for awhile. Then I had prom and things so it's been more than a little hectic.**

"**Get Out Alive" is one of my favorite TDG songs…it's very haunting and creepy, as scary as Katara's decision. Family or love? Security or happiness?**

**It's been pointed out to me about what happened with Suki. When I started this fic, no one knew for sure what had happened to Suki. Now we know, what do you suggest we do with her? Because this is an alternate fic, she can be dead, alive or a giant mouse and can make an appearance in the story if you so desire. Please tell me what you think should've happened to her and if she should make an appearance here!**

**Thanks for your reviews and for not giving up on me, it means a lot! Thanks to all of my anonymous reviewers who I can't reply to…you guys are just shrouded in mystery and I respect that XD**

**Have a great week…just keep counting down until 'The Southern Raiders'! Only 16/17 days to go!**

**- Momo**


	25. Hand Of Sorrow

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed. Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind? Obeying the crown was a sinister price. His soul was tortured by love and by pain. He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life. He prayed for both but was denied._

- Hand of Sorrow _by _Within Temptation

* * *

"Well?" Sokka pushed. "What do you say?"

Katara stood there silently, the wind causing her hair to flutter around her face. What could she say? It was a decision that she'd been thinking over for longer than any of them knew and yet she still didn't have the slightest idea what the answer would be.

"I…I'll need some time to think," she murmured.

"About what?" Sokka scowled. "You saw what Zuko was like! How can you want to stay in this kind of environment, especially with him?"

"Maybe because if I don't then the Water Tribes will be under attack?" Katara asked. She wasn't entirely ready to divulge the truth just yet about Iroh's false threat.

"We've considered that," Hakoda nodded, "and I think that if we get the Earth Kingdom behind us then we might be able to fight off the Fire Nation."

"What's changed since last time?" Katara asked, glaring at her brother and father although it wasn't entirely their fault for the difficulty of her decision. "We lost then and we'll lose again!"

She stormed off, distantly hearing Toph telling Sokka to "leave her" and that "they should get ready for dinner".

Katara crossed the grounds silently, not caring that she had just sounded rude and disrespectful. Her family must be on barrels of cactus juice if they thought that another war would have a different outcome than the last one. The Fire Nation may be weaker than it was during the war due to its crippling poverty in poorer areas, but it could still beat the hell out of the other two nations with its tactics and ruthlessness.

"Lady Katara?"

Katara stopped walking as the voice tore her out of her silent grumbles just as she had reached the doors. She glanced to the side to see a servant standing awkwardly in the doorway, next to the guards who looked positively giant next to her.

"Yes?" she asked the small servant who seemed to be about five years older than herself.

"Prince Zuko told me to tell you to 'hurry up and get ready for tonight'," the servant said anxiously, her face crumpling up slightly as she tried to recall Zuko's exact words.

Katara scoffed quietly. That was rich coming from the guy who had only just set off for the palace himself after insulting her family. And, okay, so Sokka had insulted him first but … no. She _wasn't _getting into this right now.

She murmured a quick word of thanks to the servant before heading up to the bedroom, going over in her head just what she was supposed to say. Zuko had every right to be upset after what Sokka had said but how far would he take it? She was so busy worrying about what might happen that she didn't notice the servants bustling frantically around her, their faces taut with stress and anxiety.

"Zuko?" Katara asked softly as she reached the room and pushed open the door gently. "Are you in here?"

"Of course I am," replied a voice, heavy with an 'well where else would I be?' attitude. "You should probably start getting ready now."

"I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Later, okay?" Zuko interrupted, glancing at his wife with slightly desperate eyes. "First, please just get ready."

He indicated a stunning gown laid out on the bed. Katara's eyes widened as she walked slowly over to it, running a finger gently over the luxurious material. The dress was typically Fire Nation in its color and design but there was something about if that none of her other dresses had had…not even her wedding dress.

"The dressmakers just keep surpassing themselves," she murmured, picking up the crimson bodice and flowing skirt carefully and examining it some more. The dress was bordered with black ribbon with a single band of gold running through its center. The pure simplicity of the dress only added to its beauty. Zuko respectfully averted his eyes as Katara stripped - aside from her undergarments - quickly and stepped into the dress. It fitted snugly, caressing her skin with its smooth material.

"Could you help fasten me up?" she asked Zuko after glancing behind herself and deciding that there was no way she'd be able to fasten all those buttons by herself.

Zuko nodded and began on the lower buttons. "I should probably warn you that this is a new design," he murmured as his nimble fingers ascended the dress.

"It's really beautiful," she agreed.

"That isn't quite what I meant," Zuko informed her, a smile in his voice. "You'll have to breathe in a moment."

Zuko fastened the top few buttons and Katara tried to breathe out again. But, to her horror, the dress suddenly seized her chest tightly. It pressed down upon her ribs tightly and she found that she couldn't breathe. In her panic she took in several shallow breaths in quick succession, afraid to breathe properly in case she broke any buttons.

"I-can't-breathe!" she told Zuko, throwing him a terrified glance.

"Relax," he informed her. "Don't stand up so straight. Slouch a little."

He put his hand on her quivering, bare shoulders and pressed down on them lightly. Katara followed his instructions and loosened her rigid posture. She found she could breathe a little easier but still didn't dare breathe deeply. Gods forbid she needed to yawn.

"Have I done something to warrant a rib-crushing dress?" she asked, turning carefully around. The bodice pressed inwards and she panicked that she'd soon pass out from lack of proper breathing.

"It wasn't my idea," Zuko shrugged. "But I think you look beautiful in it."

Katara glanced down at herself and had to smile. Although her waist had drastically diminished, it gave a flowing effect to the skirt that looked better than it would with a normal dress. She also couldn't help but notice that the bodice had given her breasts a boost.

"Maybe it isn't all bad," she conceded. As Zuko turned away she frowned slightly. "Do you want to talk about what happened before?"

"Maybe later," Zuko said distractedly. "These robes don't look too ridiculous, do they?" He gestured down worriedly at the crimson robes he wore.

"They look fine," Katara assured him. "It's sweet that you're going to this much trouble just for dinner with my family."

Zuko stopped fastening the clasp at his neck and turned to stare at her. His expression was a mix of anger, impatience and hurt. Katara glared back, although she didn't know why, for as long as she could before guilt set in.

"You forgot." It wasn't a question.

_Forgot what? Uh oh._

"It's looking likely that I did, yeah," Katara mumbled remorsefully, picking at her nails. "Sorry."

"You don't even know what you're sorry for," Zuko muttered.

"For forgetting," Katara joked weakly.

"And what did you forget?" Zuko asked, evidently not amused.

Katara cast her mind back to before the insults and fights between her family and Zuko and bit her lip as she couldn't think of anything.

"Something important?" she guessed.

"Try my _coronation_," Zuko told her coldly. "The most important event in the Fire Nation for the past few months."

"Oh," Katara breathed, moving forward and wrapping her arms around Zuko. "So that's why you're so on edge."

Zuko remained stiff as Katara hugged him but eventually relaxed and drew her into his chest.

"I just don't know if I'm ready to be in complete control of a whole country," he told her, resting his chin atop of her head and sighing heavily. "It's bad enough when I affect the people I love when I make mistakes-" he kissed her head gently "-but now my decisions will have consequences for thousands of people."

"You've been preparing for this your whole life," Katara soothed, gently breaking away from Zuko and looking at him directly in his confused golden eyes. "There is no one in the world who can do a better job than you can right now at ruling the Fire Nation. Not even your uncle."

"At least he's well enough to attend tonight," Zuko murmured.

"See, things are looking up already," Katara grinned. "But what exactly are we supposed to do tonight?"

"_We_ don't do anything," Zuko told her. "_I _have to stand up in front of a crowd of hundreds and swear my undying allegiance to this, that and the other. All the while trying not to make a complete idiot of myself."

"Good luck with that," Katara teased. "Also, try not to say 'I swear my undying allegiance to this, that and the other' during the ceremony because I don't think many people will take you seriously."

"I should probably take out the part where I promise 'to do a bunch of stuff' then, huh?"

"It'd be for the best," Katara laughed. Her laughter faded to be replaced with a glowing smile. "I've got to say, I'm relieved."

"That you don't have to risk humiliating yourself in front of a large crowd?" Zuko asked, wrapping his arms around Katara's waist.

"That, and that you're not mad at me."

"Why would I be mad at you?" Zuko frowned, before comprehension dawned. "I didn't mean what I said before. It's just your brother-"

"I wasn't talking about that," Katara mumbled, looking away.

"Well then what?" Zuko asked, lifting a hand up to Katara's face and gently guiding her chin to parallel with his so that she would look at him.

"I thought that maybe you regretted…what we did last night," she admitted, her voice less than a whisper. She wouldn't look at him.

"Katara, look at me," Zuko instructed quietly.

She did, albeit unwillingly.

"Don't for one second think that I could ever regret anything I've done with you," he told her, settling his forehead against hers on a slant so that their noses almost touched. "The only thing I could possibly regret is the time that I wasted fighting with you."

"So you're not…" she struggled for the right word. "…disappointed?"

Zuko laughed quietly. "With you? Never."

Katara smiled at him. "I love you so much, you know that?"

"I love you too," Zuko told her. His expression fell and he pulled away. "I've got something I need to tell you."

Katara continued smiling at him although her smile was now tinged with confusion.

"When we executed Haru, I was very angry," Zuko began. It was his turn to be unable to meet Katara's eyes. He was afraid of what he'd see there, but ploughed ahead anyway. "More angry than I'd been in a long time. You probably remember." Guilt and shame entered his low voice as he said this. "We received a letter afterwards from the Crusaders, Haru's group of vigilantes, saying that it wouldn't be long…it wouldn't be long until Haru finished the job of murdering my uncle." Zuko turned away as he spoke these difficult words. As he did, he caught a glimpse of Katara's horrified expression. "I read this letter and I snapped. I couldn't understand how these people could glorify the murder of a man who was trying to make the world right again. Against the better judgment of the Council, I replied to the letter. I told the Crusaders that their spy was dead. Nothing more, nothing less. Short but sweet." He laughed bitterly, angry at himself all over again as he relived the memory. "They didn't like that very much."

He walked over to the table that stood beside the side of the bed on which he normally slept and opened a small drawer which Katara had not previously noticed. She stood, heart pounding, and watched Zuko take out a piece of parchment that looked as though it had been opened and refolded a hundred times. Wordlessly he passed it to her and she took it with quivering hands, her bright eyes searching his before she unfolded the letter and glanced at is.

_Then your nation will fall._

Katara stared down at the words for so long that her eyes would've burned a hole in the parchment had she possessed that particular ability. She opened her mouth and closed it again several times over the next two minutes. Eventually she managed to tear her eyes off the page and up to Zuko's.

"What have you done?" she whispered, her voice shaking with anger and disbelief. "How could you do something like this?"

"I didn't want this to happen," Zuko told her. He stepped towards her but she took an angry step away from him, shaking her head fiercely.

"Just when everything was settling down you have to cause more conflict?" Katara shouted, scowling to her left. "I guess I was right, it's just in your blood!"

"It won't be a full-scale war like the last one," Zuko promised. "It's a few people from a backwater village in the Earth Kingdom against the strongest nation in the world."

"You are _unbelievable_," Katara hissed. "You think the _size_ of the war is important? People are still going to die!"

"Not if I can help it," Zuko assured. "We won't let them get as far as the Fire Nation shores. We'll go out to sea and head them off."

"And if they gain support along the way?" Katara asked with narrowed eyes. "The Earth King probably doesn't know about the Crusaders yet but he'll find out and what if he decides that another war will be for the best when he does? The Earth Kingdom have advanced in the past three years…if they decide to go to war against the Fire Nation then there'll be trouble. What will you do then?"

"I don't know!" Zuko burst out, clenching his fists to his head. "I haven't thought about it!"

"Were you thinking about it when you sent that damn letter?" Katara spat. "You must've known they wouldn't take it lying down!" She turned away and sighed, her breath coming out in shudders. "I can't believe you did this."

"I'll make it right," Zuko murmured. "Will you stand by me?"

"Of course I will," Katara muttered, although she didn't face him. "But seriously Zuko, what the hell?"

"I don't know," Zuko said again, frustration creating an edge in his voice. "I was just so mad."

"Yeah, well as far as screw-ups go, this is a pretty big one," Katara scowled. "One which we'll discuss after your coronation and one which we'll _never _tell my family about."

"So you're not angry?" Zuko asked hopefully.

"Of course I am," she told him, her tone cold. "And it's made worse by the fact that we don't even know what size army the enemy has."

"The Earth Kingdom won't want another war," Zuko said, something he'd repeated to himself over and over. "Especially not with us."

"Or they'll jump at the chance for revenge," Katara shrugged. "Especially against us."

The room was silent for a moment. Katara realized that she had been able to breathe perfectly well in her dress when her mind was elsewhere. Now all she had to do was distract herself for the rest of the evening and all would be well. She sighed slightly, testing the boundaries of her dress.

"You're not as mad as I thought you'd be," Zuko said tentatively, breaking the silence.

"I can't fly off the handle every time there's an obstacle," Katara shrugged again. "Otherwise we'd never talk and I'd probably end up killing you."

"_Trying _to kill me," Zuko corrected with a small smirk.

"Keep up that attitude and it'll be sooner than you think," Katara threatened, although a slight smile ruined the effect.

A knock on the door informed the pair that they were to make their way down to where the coronation was being held. Zuko led Katara down corridors and hallways that she saw with new eyes. Despite her words, Katara was furious and hurt that Zuko could do something so selfish and stupid that would put everyone at risk. He had unknowingly tipped the scales in her decision to either stay or go. She knew she couldn't just leave Zuko to his mess, but it was tempting. A part of her hated herself for admitting that but she knew it was the truth. Could she really just leave the man she had pledged her love and loyalty to? Moreover, would he just let her leave?

"You and Uncle will be on the platform with me and the Fire Sage during the ceremony," Zuko was saying, unaware that Katara was only half-listening. "You stand on opposite sides of the steps and ascend them together when I'm two steps in front of you. When you're on the third step from the top, you stop and kneel, facing the top of the platform where I'll be standing."

"And you didn't think of doing a rehearsal before now?" Katara asked frantically, her heart missing a beat. She hadn't known that there would be _choreography_ involved!

"It's simple enough to remember," Zuko frowned down at her. "If anything, I'm the one who should have a set of instructions."

_On _How To Not Cause War _perhaps? _Katara thought bitterly but stayed away from that topic. She didn't want Zuko to be unhappy during his coronation, hence her assurances that she wasn't mad at him.

"Not only is it my coronation, it's also Uncle's first public outing since his…illness," Zuko chose the last word carefully, his lip curled in distaste, "so it's important that things go well for him as well."

"So announcing any scandalous secrets is off the bill for tonight?" Katara asked with a mock-sigh. "Darn."

"Don't even joke," Zuko warned. "I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for anything that might happen tonight. Right now I'm trying to work out what I'd do if Azula came back from being banished, if my father came back from the dead and if the turtle ducks led a revolt."

"The last one's the one you really need to worry about," Katara advised.

"Turtle ducks have a tendency for mutiny," Zuko agreed.

"You'll be fine," Katara smiled. "I'm proud of you."

"You are?" Zuko asked, smiling down at her dazzlingly.

"For this," Katara corrected herself. "For the other things…not so much. But we'll work everything out after tonight."

"With you here, I know I can do anything," Zuko murmured, squeezing her hand gently.

"Let's just start with the coronation," Katara suggested. "How long will it last?"

"I'm not sure," Zuko replied. "It's probably better if you make yourself comfortable though." He glanced ahead. "We're almost there. Remember, third step off the top. Kneel facing me. When it's finished and I'm announced as the Fire Lord, stand up and face back down to the crowd. Wait until I'm two steps in front of you and then follow me down the steps. Wait at the bottom of the steps when I'm making my speech and when I'm finished, follow me out. Uncle will be doing the same."

Katara stared up at him. "Can I write this down on my hand so I don't forget?"

Zuko laughed, although Katara had been serious. He kissed her swiftly on her bemused lips as they came to a stop in the dark corridor. The distant sounds of a crowd drifted vaguely through the thin door to their left and Katara felt unease shift in her stomach.

After a minute of standing in silence, footsteps echoed from down the corridor. The couple looked up to see Iroh being escorted by two guards. It seemed that no one was taking any chances after Haru's attempt on Iroh's life. Katara beamed as Iroh approached, forgetting in her happiness that she should be angry with Iroh for pretending to threaten the Water Tribe and thus landing her in this mess.

"How are you?" Katara asked with a bright smile, walking up to meet Iroh. She continued in a lower voice. "Did you know about the coronation being tonight?"

"Not a clue," Iroh muttered back, also smiling so as not to raise Zuko's suspicions. "I'd feel bad but I was recovering from almost dying, so…"

"I was dealing with my family," Katara pointed out.

"Then I win."

"You haven't _met _my family," Katara told him darkly. "And I'm not looking forward to the moment that you do."

"Zuko!" Iroh smiled, ignoring Katara's words as they reached his nephew. "How have you been?"

"Well, thank you Uncle," Zuko answered. "What about you? I mean, are you-?"

"I'm alive," Iroh replied, still smiling. "Let's just leave it at that." He looked at Zuko for a moment before his smile became sad. "Your mother would be so proud of you."

"Thank you," Zuko murmured, not looking at anyone.

The door on the left opened and a guard stuck his head in.

"Your Highnesses," he said, bowing swiftly to each of them. "The time for the coronation has arrived."

"Thank you," Zuko repeated, before exhaling deeply and turning to his wife and uncle. "This is it."

"I love you," Katara reminded him. "Just breathe and everything will be fine."

"I love you too," Zuko smiled. "Remember, two steps."

Taking another deep breath, Zuko went through the doorway and disappeared into the night that lay beyond it.

"Here we go," Katara muttered. "This will be fun."

"I hope you don't get cramp in your leg easily," Iroh grinned. "Otherwise you're in for a rough time."

_Stupid Fire Nation, _Katara inwardly grumbled as she stepped through the door, waited for Iroh and then began walking on the thin crimson material beneath them. After fifty steps, the walls on either side of them shrank to reveal a large crowd waiting beneath them, every single face turned to the royal family. Ahead of them, Zuko turned right and began to climb an enormous flight of stairs. Pure white fabric had been rolled down the middle of the scarlet-clad steps and for a moment Katara worried on which part she was supposed to stand on. Then Iroh stood to the far left of the steps, firmly on the red material. Katara followed his example and stood parallel to him on the other side, slowly climbing the steps. She calculated the step she and Iroh would stop on, but still glanced at the old man to ensure that she had been right. He caught her eye and gave her a small smile of encouragement which she returned. She dropped to her knees with difficulty, horrifying visions of her dress splitting in front of all these people flashing before her eyes. Luckily nothing catastrophic happened and Katara began to relax. The night air around her was pleasantly warm and every time she glanced upwards, twinkling stars greeted her. She wondered briefly if Aang was looking down on her, and if he was then what he thought of everything that had gone on since his death. Katara still missed him so much…she didn't think it was a wound that would ever heal. But Zuko had helped her so much. She gazed up at him and couldn't help but smile. He would make a truly great leader…even with his habit of starting wars. But she would help him through that. She would make sure that no more lives were lost due to fighting, that no more mothers were taken away from their children. She would protect and fight for her future…but would it cost her her past? She wouldn't choose between her family and her husband and it was as simple as that. If her father asked her to come back to the South Pole then she'd just drill it into him that that would cause the Fire Nation to attack the Water Tribe. If Zuko asked her to stay then she'd remind him of how much she needed her family. Then she'd just let it work them out amongst themselves.

Okay. So that wasn't a good plan at all. But it was better than choosing between the two most important things in her life. Either way she would lose out. She didn't pay attention as the Fire Sage - who seemed to get older every time Katara saw him - spoke in ringing tones to Zuko, nor did she listen as Zuko promised to do a long list of things.

After what seemed like hours and a very annoying pain in her leg later, Katara watched as Zuko knelt before the Fire Sage and had the golden insignia of the Fire Nation placed into the ponytail that he had scraped his raven hair back into. Katara sneaked a glance sideways at Iroh and saw his eyes shimmering with tears in the light darkness. She smiled softly as she turned back to Zuko. He had been preparing for this his whole life and Katara couldn't help but feel happy for him. Slowly Zuko stood and faced the crowd. Taking this as their signal, Iroh and Katara slowly stood as well. With the ache in her leg, Katara wasn't looking forward to descending the steps. Zuko passed them, throwing a quick smile at Katara as he passed her. When he was two steps down, Katara and Iroh began to follow him, with Katara nervously trying to remember how to breathe in her bodice.

Zuko finished going down the steps and strode confidently to the balcony that stood opposite the steps. His eyes swept the crowd of his citizens beneath him and his heart flared with pride. These were _his _people now more than they ever had been.

"All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" an unknown voice from the side shouted.

The crowd beneath him rippled as every person bowed lowly and simultaneously. They wouldn't be bowing to him if they knew what he had started with the Earth Kingdom. But they'd bow to him when they know that he resolved the problem. If only he knew how to resolve the problem. Katara was furious with him, he saw it in her eyes, regardless of what she said. But he wouldn't think about that now. She'd stand by him.

Two guards stood inconspicuously on the far sides of the balcony, watching out for any trouble. Katara's family had been seated in a special area in which they could see the ceremony but wouldn't be bothered by the citizens…or so they wouldn't bother the citizens. Zuko wasn't really sure which one it was. Either way, he tried to ignore Sokka and Hakoda's death glares in his direction. He realized with relish that now he could command the guards to follow them around at all times. It'd be a waste of their time, but it'd sure annoy Sokka and Hakoda, something which gave Zuko joy.

"Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara!" the same voice announced.

Zuko turned around and gestured for Katara to join him. He had thought that she'd be told to join him, but didn't want to worry her with this news in case it didn't happen. With slightly widened eyes, Katara walked shakily to Zuko's side. Without hesitation or prompting, his slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Katara smiled up at him, only remembering the bowing crowd when she glanced forward.

"That's a lot of people," she murmured, glad she wasn't alone on the balcony.

"They're all your people," Zuko answered, smiling back.

"They're all _our_ people," Katara corrected him. "We share things, remember?"

"Right," Zuko said with a slight laugh. "Now stop making me happy. I'm the Fire Lord. I'm supposed to be serious and grumpy."

"Sorry Your Majesty," Katara replied with a smirk. "Just gaze out to the sky and look imperial."

They stood in union for perhaps twenty more seconds as the occasional "All hail the Royal Family!" shout came out, to which a mass of cheering would begin.

"You know," Katara said during a particularly upbeat cheering session, "the next we'll be standing here will probably be to announce the birth of our child."

Zuko's face went paler than usual and Katara laughed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," she grinned. "That won't be for awhile anyway, calm down."

Zuko still hadn't seen the funny side as the small group made their way down to the dining hall for their first dinner with Katara's family who they were told would be there waiting for him.

"I think my first official act will be to outlaw jokes like that," Zuko muttered to Katara as they reached the dining corridor.

"Jokes like what?" Iroh asked curiously, having the ears of a bat.

"I told him that his robes were on back to front and he almost fell off the balcony," Katara laughed with ease. She wasn't about the broadcast the actual joke, particularly not with her family close by.

"It wasn't funny!" Zuko insisted as Iroh laughed heartily.

They stopped at the doors to find that Katara's family and Toph were already waiting for them.

"Nice coronation," Toph complimented dryly. "But what's with the robes?"

Zuko shrugged. "You have to wear special robes for a special occasion."

"The robes used to be white a few years ago," Iroh mused. "It made the whole family look like ghosts."

"Fire Nation people don't really have the complexion for that color," Katara agreed, looking at Zuko's face speculatively.

"Stop that, you'll make me self-conscious," Zuko ordered with a smile.

Katara laughed and Sokka and Hakoda rolled their eyes.

Realizing that her brother, father and grandmother were there, Katara introduced them to Iroh. They all greeted him with open hostility and coldness. Katara didn't blame them at all but it made for an uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Should we go in to eat?" Katara asked Iroh nervously.

"Ask Zuko, he's the Fire Lord," Iroh smiled.

All eyes swiveled to Zuko, some expectant, others narrowed.

"Let's eat," he answered with a nod.

Sokka pushed past him to enter the dining room first.

"After you," Zuko muttered sarcastically.

Everyone else had the sense and decency to allow Zuko to go first.

Zuko went to sit as his usual seat next to Iroh and opposite Katara, but Iroh stopped him.

"You belong at the head of the table now that you are the Fire Lord," Iroh reminded him with a smile.

"You are head of this family and my title doesn't change that," Zuko answered. "You should sit where you always have."

Katara was still smiling with pride as the meal was served. She thanked the servants quietly as they poured her wine and set down her dish. Once everyone had gotten wine, Katara lifted her glass.

"To family," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

Everyone repeated, although Sokka and Hakoda looked less than impressed. Katara wanted to explain to them that she was happy, but doubted it would make much difference anyway.

Halfway through the meal, Iroh smiled over at Kanna.

"You don't look old enough to have two teenage grandchildren," he said, his voice smooth and his smile wide.

Zuko groaned and rested his head on his palm. Katara choked on the wine she'd been drinking and had to be pat on the back by a very amused Toph.

"Uncle," Zuko muttered warningly.

"What, Zuko?" Iroh asked, his expression deceptively innocent. "I merely wondered how Kanna can stay looking young and beautiful in her wise years."

"Does anyone else feel the overwhelming urge to throw up?" Sokka muttered.

"A little, but that might actually have more to do with the fish," Toph answered queasily, jabbing a finger in the direction of her half-full plate.

"I have a helpfully distracting announcement to make," Zuko said suddenly. He wasn't going to say anything originally but decided that it would be a welcome change from the current topic of how visually fortunate Katara's grandmother was.

Katara's eyes shot to Zuko in puzzlement. He hadn't mentioned anything to her. Was he going to say anything about the forthcoming war? No, he wouldn't be that stupid. Would he?

"Do you think now's the best time?" Katara hissed with a frown.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say," Zuko replied with a bemused smile.

"I can guess," she said with narrowed eyes.

Zuko shook his head slightly, indicating that this wasn't about the war. "Actually, it concerns Sokka."

Eyes flicked to Sokka and back at Zuko curiously.

"Katara mentioned awhile ago that before the Day of Black Sun, your group met up with the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors again. Suki, right?"

Sokka nodded wordlessly, glaring at Zuko with suspicion and, although he tried to force it down, a glimmer of hope.

"We started talking about her and wondering what happened - where she ended up," Zuko corrected himself hastily. "As soon as I heard that Azula was involved I had a suspicion about where she sent the Kyoshi Warriors. I didn't say anything to Katara because I didn't want to get her hopes up, but I started looking into the possibility of the Boiling Rock."

Katara glanced at Iroh to see what he was making of this but he didn't seem surprised at all. He must've been in on Zuko's plan. She focused back on what Zuko was saying.

"It's a notorious Fire Nation prison," Zuko explained. "Inescapable. It's in a completely remote area with boiling water surrounding the prison. The worst kinds of criminals are sent there."

"But Suki wasn't a criminal," Sokka interjected with a scowl, as if Zuko was insinuating something.

"I know. But Azula knew that the Kyoshi Warriors were your allies and she didn't want them to help you when the final battle came. I doubt that even the Avatar's group could've gotten them out of there."

_Dangerous territory, _Katara thought warningly. _For the love of the Gods, don't mention Aang's name._

"When Uncle came to power," Zuko continued with a swift nod in Iroh's direction, "he visited the prison. Those who actively wanted the war to stop had been imprisoned there also, along with those who supplied Fire Nation tactics to the Earth Kingdom. Uncle saw fit to release those people. They were victims of the war just like everybody else. It was there that he found the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Suki."

Sokka inhaled sharply. "Was she okay? Was she hurt?"

"She was alive," Zuko said, deliberately vaguely. "She'd been there for three or more years and the prison isn't renowned for its hospitality."

Sokka growled lowly, tightly clenching his fists.

"Uncle released her and gave all the war prisoners a small sum of money to get them back on their feet. I didn't really give the story anymore thought until Katara mentioned Suki. Afterwards, I visited Uncle and asked him if he remembered the prison warden mentioning anything about the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. He did, but of course had no idea where she would be now. It was then that I decided to ask the men that were stationed in the Earth Kingdom to find out anything and everything they could on her whereabouts. It took them awhile - no one in the Earth Kingdom wanted to help Fire Nation soldiers -"

"I wonder why," Toph muttered.

"So I sent in some more men in civilian disguises. The Earth Kingdom citizens were suddenly much more helpful."

"So you know where Suki is?" Sokka asked urgently, still trying to quash the hopefulness in his voice.

"I do," Zuko nodded. "I've arranged for her to be in a certain place at a certain time. If you want to, you can go and meet her."

Silence descended on the table.

"Why are you doing this?" Sokka asked quietly.

"I'm not the spoilt Prince I used to be. I want to make amends. I want things to be okay between all of us. I know it'll take more than this, but consider it a start." Zuko looked earnestly at Sokka the whole time he spoke.

"I won't say thank you," Sokka told him after a short pause. "But I'm grateful."

"Then I won't say you're welcome," Zuko answered with a small smile. "But I acknowledge that you're grateful."

"We'll arrange the passage and details after dinner," Hakoda suggested. "This really is exquisite fish."

"Caught fresh in a far-off bay that no one's heard of, so I'm told," Iroh answered with a chuckle.

"I think the mystery of where it comes from makes it more exciting," Toph said dryly.

"It's fish, how exciting can it be?" Katara asked.

"The Unagi was a fish, and that was pretty exciting," Toph pointed out.

"The Unagi was not a _fish_!" Katara replied derisively. "It was a sea monster!"

"It was an overgrown fish," Toph insisted.

"I think it was a mixture of the two," Sokka offered. "Didn't stop Aang from riding it though."

"The first thing Aang arranged when we left the South Pole was where to visit for the best animals," Katara laughed, not missing a beat. "He didn't really take anything seriously until just before we reached the North Pole."

"He took getting chased by pirates pretty seriously," Sokka shrugged with a grin.

"Shut up, you can't hold that against me forever!" Katara complained, although she couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"I can and I will."

"Will not."

"Will too."

"Will not."

"Will too."

"Will-"

"Children, please," Hakoda sighed. "At least try and _act _mature."

Katara glanced at Sokka. _Will not_, she mouthed.

As the table laughed, Katara's heart soared. She had never been happier. Zuko's gesture had brought the families closer together and, while they may not be friends yet, they were at least tolerant of each other. Who knew, maybe in time the choice between them would become obsolete.

* * *

"That was a really nice thing to do," Katara smiled as she and Zuko headed back up to their room. "About Suki and Sokka, I mean."

Zuko shrugged. "Like I said, I need to make amends. I'm not going to let you go and they're not going to let you go so we should probably make some kind of alliance."

"This is about me?" Katara asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Everything in my world is about you," Zuko replied. "But there was sort of an ulterior motive."

"Here we go," Katara teased.

"I've got spies in the Earth Kingdom like I said before, but having the Kyoshi Warriors on our side could really help us get an idea of who it is we're fighting," Zuko explained. Katara was silent for a moment. "Are you mad?" he asked worriedly.

"No," Katara answered. "As long as we don't tell Sokka that, I think it's a good plan. You really will make a great leader."

"Only with you by my side," Zuko replied, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Although the 'Suki as a giant mouse' idea was surprisingly popular, I've decided not to have her actually appear in the story. I may change my mind in a couple of chapters because I'm indecisive like that, but for now she's just going to be off-screen. Or should that be off-page? I don't know.**

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. A HUGE thank you to all of my reviewers…we made it to over 1000 reviews guys! -hugs you all-.**

**I know some of you still have questions about how involved the Earth Kingdom will be in the war, but hopefully after the next chapter or two all questions will be answered.**

**Thanks to **Ogro** for the idea for the IrohxKanna dinner scene. I may develop on the flirting just to torture Zuko and Katara XD**

**Thanks to **Dragon Jadefire **for suggesting the song of this chapter. It's a great song and definitely one that I wanted to use sometime in this fic because the words fit so well.**

**The little bit about Katara's dress I wrote mainly as a form of therapy for my initial troubles with my prom dress :P My bodice was really, really difficult to breathe in at first. Every time I sat down in it there was a few seconds of sheer panic until I arranged it so I could breathe properly. So yeah, historical correctness be damned, the original bodice was created in the Fire Nation!**

**Does anyone listen to **Breaking Benjamin**? I'm currently obsessed with 'Diary of Jane' (zomg, Zutara song lol) and 'Breath' so if anyone can suggest other good songs by them then I'd appreciate it (:**

**Six days until 'The Southern Raiders' airs! :D **

**Have a great week and remember…the turtle ducks are plotting our demise.**

**- Momo**


	26. Everything Burns

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Wrapped in all of the promises that no one seems to keep. Everything burns, while everyone screams. Burning their lies, burning my dreams. All of this hate and all of this pain…I'll burn it all down as my anger reigns. Watching it all fade away. _

- Everything Burns _by _Anastacia and Ben Moody

* * *

"So what exactly do you do all day?" Gran Gran frowned as she relaxed inside one of the many luxurious chambers filled with cushy furniture and bookcases. "So far we've just sat around and ate."

"Well Zuko takes care of the really important things," Katara shrugged, lounging on her favorite couch and fiddling absently with one of the mauve tassels that hung off the couch's arm. "Believe it or not, there isn't really much to do at this moment in time. But soon I guess we'll be trying to sort out the poverty problem and get the economy back on its feet properly."

"Sounds _exhilarating_!" Toph exclaimed in a faux-posh accent. "So where's Fire Lordy now?" She paused and frowned. "That just sounds stupid. Damn Zuko and his royal status."

Katara laughed. "Well, since Sokka left this morning to see Suki, I thought it might be nice for dad and Zuko to get to know each other better."

"What?" Gran Gran and Toph asked sharply at the same time.

"I want my father and my husband to get to know each other better?" Katara repeated uncertainly as she slowly sat up, stunned at the reaction she had gotten.

"You left Hakoda alone with Zuko?" Gran Gran asked, her elderly eyes wide. "Are you insane?"

"Of course not," Katara replied defensively.

"I'd re-evaluate that answer if you think that your father and husband are a good combination," Gran Gran frowned. "Hakoda will rip Zuko into shreds."

"Zuko can hold his own," Katara dismissed.

* * *

"So what are your intentions with my daughter?" Hakoda asked, staring at Zuko over the small tea table that separated them.

Zuko took a sip of tea, wishing more than anything that Hakoda had declined Katara's offer of getting to known Zuko better over tea. Now they sat in Iroh's tea room, which might as well be an interrogation cell for all of Hakoda's pointed questions asked in a business-like tone.

"Well, I obviously love Katara very much," Zuko answered uncomfortably. "And I want us to rule together and start a family."

Wrong answer. Hakoda's face clouded over.

"In a few years," Zuko added hastily.

Still the wrong answer.

"When we're both ready," Zuko corrected himself.

Hakoda's eyes were slowly narrowing.

"When she's ready?" Zuko tried, a little desperately.

"And if she's never ready?" Hakoda asked, although he knew his daughter's personality meant that she was destined to have children.

"Then that's okay because I love her," Zuko replied, growing more confident now that Hakoda was speaking instead of shooting him death glares.

"I see," Hakoda mused. "Were you aware that recently Sokka gave Katara the choice to go back home?"

Zuko's heart stopped.

"No, I wasn't," he murmured after a moment. Then, regaining his composure as logic set in, "But the agreement-"

"I know what the agreement was," Hakoda cut across harshly. "But do you think that will stop us if Katara wants to come home?"

"Has she said that to you?" Zuko's low voice didn't conceal his anxiety and impatience.

"No, not yet," Hakoda replied, putting extra emphasis on the last two words.

"And what makes you think that she will?" Zuko asked, calmly taking another drink of tea.

"I'm not a fool, I can see that she's happy here," Hakoda said, the edge to his voice showing Zuko that they were on the topic that this meeting was really about. "But for how long?"

"Forever," Zuko growled back.

"In the weeks that followed what happened at Ba Sing Se, Katara was a mess. Did you know that?" Hakoda asked, changing tack swiftly.

"No," Zuko answered quietly, guilt forcing him to look away. He and Katara had talked about what happened in the crystal catacombs even less than they had about the Day of Black Sun.

"She was too worried about Aang to eat or sleep properly. She checked on him every other hour and stayed by his bedside most nights until we convinced her that he'd be okay," Hakoda continued. "Even after Aang woke up and the group traveled through the Fire Nation, Katara wasn't the same. Sokka told me that every new person they met she treated with suspicion She was friendly enough but that's as far as it went. She wouldn't _trust _anyone new."

Zuko scowled. He knew where this was going.

"I've changed since-"

Hakoda slammed his tea cup down forcefully onto the table. Droplets of tea sloshed everywhere. Zuko looked up, surprised at this, to see Hakoda's expression darker than he had ever seen it.

"Katara never told anyone what happened in the crystal catacombs before the fight happened. We asked, but she wouldn't say anything. All we knew was that _you_ were there with her. Whatever you said or whatever you did hurt her very much."

"And you'll think I'll do that to her again?" Zuko asked angrily.

"I know you will," Hakoda snarled back. "She got through it last time with the help of her family. And then you did it to her again. Tell me, _Zuko_, how do you think it felt to hear her screaming into her pillow every night for six months? There were some days that I wished she'd just cry. It'd be better than the emptiness in her eyes."

"She's happy now," Zuko spat, his fists unintentionally clenching.

"For how long? You're easily swayed and you have a drastically misguided sense of right and wrong. It's only a matter of time before you hurt her again."

"You're wrong," Zuko growled. "She's the most important thing in my life and I'll never hurt her."

"So if she wanted to leave, you'd just let her walk out?" Hakoda asked, his thick eyebrows raised.

Zuko hesitated a moment too long.

"That's what I thought," Hakoda nodded, disgust etched onto his face. "I don't care what your social status is, you're not good enough for Katara and you never will be."

* * *

"So what time do you think Sokka will be back?" Toph wondered aloud. "It's quiet around here without him."

"I don't know," Katara shrugged. "He'll want to spend time with Suki so it could be a few days."

"But he'll miss the scintillating conversation and activities going on here!" Toph mock-gasped.

"Go run around the gardens a few times if you're bored," Gran Gran suggested, although she didn't look particularly thrilled at that moment in time either.

"Go visit Iroh if you are," Toph shot back.

Katara laughed. "Nice comeback." She flicked her gaze over to her grandmother. "But for my sake, don't you dare."

"As if I would," Gran Gran muttered, although light pink colored her cheeks.

"How's it going with Master Pakku anyway?" Katara asked her grandmother.

"I'm teaching him to get over his prejudices which is a long and painful process," Gran Gran replied with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm sure it is," Katara replied, remembering the old man's initial reluctance to teach her Waterbending. "If he could see me now."

"He'd be proud of you like the rest of us are," Gran Gran smiled. "Well, once he'd gotten over the shock that you're in a more powerful position than he is, anyway."

There was a short silence.

"Have you thought anymore about what Sokka asked you?" Gran Gran asked carefully.

"You mean how to stew sea prunes properly?" Katara frowned, recalling Sokka's repeated question the day before.

"I mean about going back to the South Pole."

"Oh." Katara sat up stiffly. "No, I haven't."

"Out of earshot of your father and brother, I just want you to know that I know you're happy here. I want you to come back to the South Pole because I miss you a great deal - we all do. But I'd understand if you wished to stay here with Zuko."

"How am I supposed to choose?" Katara asked with a sigh. "I don't _want _to choose."

"Then don't," Toph chipped in. "Let Zuko and Hakoda figure out an arrangement between themselves."

"I don't want them deciding my future," Katara frowned.

"Then you should probably go and check on them," Toph suggested.

"Right," Katara nodded. "See you in a bit."

* * *

"Katara chose to stay with me, it's not your concern if I'm not good enough for her. She obviously thinks that I am," Zuko said angrily. He wondered if Hakoda noticed the room heating up dangerously.

"She's a teenage girl, she doesn't know what love is!" Hakoda spat dismissively.

"You said so yourself, she's happy here!" Zuko shouted. "Why do you want to take that away from her?"

"To protect her from you!" Hakoda exploded, standing up sharply. His knees collided with the table, shoving it aside with a clatter to the floor. "Last time she had her family. This time all she's got is you."

"That's all she needs!" Zuko snarled, also standing up swiftly.

"Betrayal is in your nature," Hakoda hissed. "I tried to come here with an open mind. I told myself that I'd be strong and if Katara was happy with you, I'd accept it."

"So accept it!" Zuko ordered. "I know that you've got no reason to trust the Fire Nation after what it's put your family through but-"

There was a soft knock on the door and it opened two seconds later.

"Hey, how are you two-" Katara began, but stopped abruptly at the sight before her. "What's going on?"

"Just a little disagreement," Hakoda said quietly. "Nothing to worry about."

"What were you arguing over?" Katara frowned, worried at the conflict and tension that saturated the air.

"Guess," Zuko said coldly, still glaring at Hakoda.

Katara sighed heavily. "I won't choose."

Both men turned their glares on her.

"You heard me," Katara said, glaring back. "I'm not going to choose between you." She turned to her father. "And if you cared about my happiness, you wouldn't be making me."

"I'm not the one who'd physically restrain you in order to stop you from leaving," Hakoda said defensively, shooting a pointed glare at Zuko.

"What?" Katara frowned.

"I didn't say that!" Zuko scowled at Hakoda. "You're the one who wants to take her away from the one place that makes her happy! I've tried to get along with you but I won't sit back and watch you ridicule me and take Katara away against her will!"

"No one's taking me anywhere!" Katara insisted. "Now both of you grow up, you're being pathetic!"

Zuko and Hakoda stared at her cautiously, neither prepared for an emotional young woman. But Katara didn't care. It pained her to see the two men she loved above all others (although of course in very, very different ways) fighting each other. She thought that they'd have at least tried to get on with each other but no.

"Considering you both want me to be happy, try getting along with each other!" Katara said, her voice rising slightly. "Think you can manage that?"

Not waiting for an answer, she turned and slammed the door in the bemused men's faces. Zuko slowly turned to Hakoda.

"Think we can get along for the emotional girl's sake?" he asked warily.

"Only to her face," Hakoda replied coldly. "But I'll be waiting for you to slip up. I won't let my daughter feel the same pain that you put her through ever again."

Without another word he left, probably to follow Katara. Zuko watched him go with an irritated sigh. This conversation would come back and bite him big time when Hakoda found out about the war Zuko had inadvertently started.

* * *

"What were you two arguing about?" Katara asked coolly as Hakoda caught up to her halfway along the corridor.

"Nothing," Hakoda replied evasively.

"Despite what you all think, Zuko doesn't get that angry over nothing," Katara told her father with narrowed eyes. "I don't like to think that you're keeping secrets from me."

"I'm not," Hakoda promised.

"Then tell me what you were arguing about."

Hakoda sighed heavily. "I was doing my fatherly duties and making sure that you were happy."

"And did any of those duties include insinuating that Zuko wasn't making me happy?" Katara asked with a roll of her eyes.

"They may have done," Hakoda admitted slowly. "They may also have included me reminding Zuko what he did to you after the fall of Ba Sing Se and the Day of Black Sun."

"Dad!"

"Well, I just want him to know that if I don't think you're happy, I won't just sit back and do nothing."

Katara shook her head angrily. "It's a little late for the parental concern to start kicking in. Where were you when I first got sent here?"

"Back then I didn't know if we were strong enough to storm the Fire Nation," Hakoda told his daughter, a hint of anger in his voice that she would question his love and protectiveness over her. "But now that-"

"-I'm happy?" Katara finished for him indignantly. "Now that I actually _want_ to stay here you figure out that you're able to break me out?"  
"Katara, don't you dare think that every day I didn't regret my decision to send you here," Hakoda said, his voice strained. "I tried being selfless and it didn't work and now I want you to come home with us."

"I meant what I said," Katara said wearily. "I won't choose."

The conversation continued in much the same way until the father and daughter reached the room where Gran Gran and Toph still lazily lounged about in. There the conversation ceased, although tension still hung in the air.

* * *

"Report," Zuko ordered, glancing down towards the men seated at the table in front of him, including Iroh who decided that he was well enough to sit in on a Council meeting.

It had been two hours since Zuko had seen Katara but, rather than go after her when she was obviously upset, he decided to check in on the progress of the spies he had placed in the Earth Kingdom. So far they had only received short, coded notes but now the Council seemed to think that a note they had just been sent was different.

"The men placed near the meeting point will watch over Sir Sokka and his lady friend as you requested, my Lord," Taro said to Zuko, standing up and unfurling a piece of parchment.

"Good, okay," Zuko nodded, eager to get to news on the war.

"According to the man who has connections with someone in the Earth Kingdom War Council, the Earth King has heard about the Crusader's threat to the Fire Nation," Taro read, unaware that he had every man in the room holding his breath for the next sentence. "King Kuei isn't going to send any troops to help the Crusaders-"

A collective sigh of relief whispered around the room. However Taro hadn't finished.

"But," he continued in a loud and carrying voice. "if any Fire Nation ships reach Earth Kingdom shores with the intent of fighting, Kuei will send all of the nation's collective armies."

Muttering filled the war room, but Zuko shook his head.

"That was only to be expected," he said, disagreeing with the mutterings. "We should be thankful that the Earth Kingdom isn't going to get involved any further than these amateur vigilantes."

"Surely they must know how this reflects on them as a nation though?" Iroh frowned, voicing his thoughts for the first time this afternoon. "That they are not willing to protect their own people when it comes to war?"

"All they know is that they can't afford another war," Zuko disagreed. "Considering we don't want another war either, I'd say that their condition was sensible."

"So what are we going to do now?" Iroh asked, turning to his nephew just like every other person in the room.

Zuko paused for a moment, lost in silent reflection. Then he nodded thoughtfully. "This is undoubtedly good news for us. We'll attack at sea, as planned. Do we know when the Crusaders are planning to attack or where they're sailing from?"

Eyes flicked hopefully to Taro and then disappointedly back at Zuko when the elderly man shook his head.

"I can ask Katara to remember where the village was that Haru came from, that won't be a problem," Zuko mused. "We might be able to tell from which direction they'll attack."

"Forgive me, Fire Lord," Iroh spoke up, his gravelly voice filled with disapproval. "But I do not think it wise to involve Lady Katara in this any more than you already have done. Will you let her fight?"

"No."

"Then you should not involve her at all. Her Waterbending would prove far more useful than her memory anyway," Iroh shrugged.

Zuko resisted the urge to glare at his uncle, who had made his opinions on Katara's involvement very clear before the meeting. Why he asked if she would fight, Zuko had no idea. He already had the answer and Zuko wouldn't change his mind over something like this.

"Katara will be nowhere near the Crusaders," he growled. "And that's final."

There was an awkward silence at the war table as all the men averted their eyes.

"Is there anything else?" Zuko asked impatiently, his mood completely ruined now.

The nobles all directed their glances to one man. This man stood up nervously, obviously having been elected to say something.

"My Lord," he began, nervously wringing his hands, "the nobles have been discussing Sir Sokka and his lady friend."

"Sokka and Suki, yes," Zuko nodded, rolling his eyes at the formalities.

"Yes," the man repeated. "Well, we were wondering…it's more than likely that news of the Crusaders has spread, particularly to the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, and…"

"You think that Sokka will find out about the war and tell his family?" Zuko asked, a small smile on his face. "I'm counting on it."

"You're what?" Iroh asked sharply, forgetting the decorum of the Council meetings.

"Sokka will have time to consider why it's best that he fights with the Fire Nation on the way back to the palace," Zuko explained. "Then he'll convince his family. If I had announced it to all of them at once, he'd have immediately dismissed the idea without really thinking about it. He may have picked up valuable information about the Crusaders and their plans for attack. And even if he doesn't want to fight with us, I'll remind him that if the Crusaders win then Katara's life would be in danger."

"I thought you were keeping Katara out of this," Iroh frowned.

Zuko frowned back at his uncle. Both men seemed to have forgotten the presence they were in.

"She won't be involved in the battle but that's no reason to keep her out of the planning."

"So you're involving her to the extent that it suits you?" Iroh challenged.

Zuko threw a glance at the table, where all the nobles were staring up at the brewing argument. "You are dismissed," he told them all. When nobody moved, he scowled darkly. "Go!"

When the echoes of the scattering chairs had ceased and Zuko and Iroh were alone, Zuko's scowl deepened.

"I won't let Katara be involved in something this dangerous that's my fault," he said steadily, although his tone was dangerous.

Iroh considered mentioning the far more dangerous things that Katara had been involved in that were Zuko's fault, but diplomatically decided against it. Instead he sighed heavily and shook his head.

"You can't protect her from everything, Zuko."

"Yes I can," Zuko answered stubbornly. "And I will. She isn't going to be on the frontline of any battle."

"And do you think that she'll appreciate you shielding her from the world in such a way?" Iroh frowned. "Allow the beautiful flower into sunlight and it will thrive; shut it away and it will wilt."

"I don't need your stupid analogies!" Zuko shouted, pushing himself off the imperial chair and stalking out of the throne room.

Breathing heavily, he stopped just outside the door and allowed his angry expression to slip to one of anxiety. This was the first time he actually doubted that he was doing the right thing in keeping Katara away from the fight. If he kept Katara away from this battle then he'd have to keep her away from all possible conflict, something which he knew she'd hate.

But he wouldn't think about this until forced to by Sokka's arrival back at the palace. Until then he'd act normally - or as normal as he could, anyway - and try to focus as much as he could on after the battle was over and things with him and Katara would be well again. He knew that her family coming to visit had had a negative impact on both of their stress levels.

Focusing on the better times ahead, Zuko shakily walked down the corridor to go and find Katara. He needed someone to spar with to get all of the frustration and worry out of his system.

--_Several Hours Later_--

"I still don't think that you should've hit her that hard," Hakoda was muttering over dinner.

"Dad, he didn't hit me at all," Katara said, rolling her eyes as she helped herself to a slice of meat. "I managed to dodge all of his shots, graceful as I am."

"Yeah, that was real graceful the way you fell over there," Toph snickered over her own dinner.

"I wouldn't have done if the ground didn't suddenly move of its own accord," Katara retorted. "Oh wait, that was you."

"The sparring match was getting boring," Toph shrugged. "Even I could see that and I'm blind. So I thought I'd shake things up."

"You didn't have to do it literally though," Zuko frowned.

"Lighten up, it isn't as if you lost your balance," Toph said through a mouthful of freshly picked vegetables.

"It's not like you didn't try to trip me up as well," Zuko pointed out.

"True," Toph nodded. "Seriously though, you two were ridiculous out there. You got married and now it's like you don't want to hurt each other anymore!"

Zuko and Katara exchanged amused glances.

"And that's a bad thing?" Katara asked Toph, unable to hold back a smile.

"When you fight like _that_, yeah!" Toph nodded. "What happens the next time something big happens and you need to fight usefully?"

"Well as long as it's not Zuko I'm fighting, I'm sure I'll be fine," Katara answered, her smile slipping momentarily as the thought of the impending war flashed in her mind.

Zuko's eyes met Hakoda's as the older man glowered discreetly at him. Zuko looked away again without a vocal response.

"I wonder how Sokka is going on with his young lady?" Gran Gran wondered aloud suddenly.

"Who knows, if it's going well then we may have another wedding on our hands," Hakoda answered. He glanced at Katara. "And we may actually be _invited _to this one."

Katara opened her mouth to reply, but Iroh cut across her,.

"Knowing teenagers, he is probably having a wonderful time," he smiled kindly, recognizing the concern in Kanna's voice and sympathizing with it.

"Knowing _Sokka_, he's probably managed to fall off a cliff," Toph snorted.

"It does sound like him," Katara agreed. "He fell off Appa a couple of times."

"That was a flying bison," Zuko frowned. "I don't think he's stupid enough to actually walk off a cliff."

"Not walk. Fall," Katara corrected. "Although to be fair, Sokka fell off when we…weren't exactly flying in the best conditions." She shot a very obvious look towards Zuko.

"Why, was it raining?" Zuko asked innocently.

"Yes," Katara replied, monotone, as the others laughed. "That's exactly what I meant. That it was raining."

"Does it ever rain in the Fire Nation?" Gran Gran asked as she swallowed the last of her dinner.

"Rarely," Iroh answered. "We are the hottest nation on earth, even in the winter. The droughts we sometimes experience, particularly in recent years, are difficult times for the country as a whole. Lack of crops and no promise of rain ensures a slower economy."

"If you're going to talk about the economy then I'm going to leave," Zuko announced, standing up and holding his hand out to Katara, who gladly took it.

"Don't talk to your elders like that," Iroh said, mock-sternly.

"I'm the Fire Lord now, I can talk to my elders how I want," Zuko said with a smile. But then he indicated his head to show that he meant no disrespect. "Are you coming, Toph?"

"Without dessert? Are you kidding?" Toph asked, scandalized.

"Yeah, Zuko," Katara said as she laughed. "Toph skipping out on dessert is unheard of!"

"And I thought Sokka ate a lot," Zuko teased as he glanced towards the door. "We'll see you all later."

The young couple left hand in hand, the eyes of everyone in the room following after them.

"They seem to be getting along well," Iroh said cheerily.

_Translation: my nephew and Katara are ecstatically happy._

"Yes," Hakoda agreed stiffly. "I trust Katara hasn't been any trouble during her time here?"

_Translation: how many people did she hurt during her first few weeks here?_

"Oh no," Iroh replied with a chuckle. "Although I had to separate her and Zuko once or twice at first."

_Translation: her bathroom exploded, she destroyed an ancient stone symbol, he forbade her from leaving the palace and killed another one of her friends._

"Good good." Hakoda threw a suspicious glance at the door that his daughter and Zuko had just left from. "I still think they're a little too young for such a serious relationship."

_Translation: Zuko - touch my little girl and die._

"We're either too young or too old these days," Iroh smiled and shared a knowing look with Kanna. "But Sokka seems just the right age. Perhaps he'll want to invite his lady friend back to the Fire Nation?"

"Considering all she's been through, I don't think that's such a good idea," Toph said, uncharacteristically serious for a moment.

The table was silent for the remainder of dessert.

* * *

"Did I really make Sokka fall off the bison?" Zuko asked as he and Katara walked slowly from the dining room.

"Not directly," Katara shrugged. "We had to weave through a lot of fire blasts from both you and that guy Zhao and the next thing I knew, Sokka was falling through the sky."

"I remember that," Zuko mused. "It was an impressive catch…you saved him just before he hit the water, right?"

"Yeah," Katara nodded with a sad smile. "I didn't think we'd get through that blockade alive. But we managed it."

"Do you miss those times?" Zuko asked, squeezing Katara's hand softly as the conversation turned somber.

"Every day," Katara answered softly. "But now that I have you, I'm not so stuck in the past anymore."

"I should've known there was an ulterior motive for you staying with me," Zuko joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well I'm not here for your sparkling wit, that's for sure," Katara teased.

"My dashing good looks?" Zuko suggested. "My impressive Firebending skills? My-"

"Your modesty, actually," Katara grinned. "Although that's going pretty swiftly down the drain." She glanced up along the long, dark stretch of corridor ahead of them. "Where are we going, by the way?"

"Up to you," Zuko shrugged. "Although I was kind of thinking that we could go to bed."

"But I'm not tired," Katara said with a frown. Then comprehension dawned and she smiled. "Oh. You need to be more clear about these things. My innocent mind doesn't register what you suggest."

"Innocent?" Zuko repeated with a smirk. "Right. And anyway, I'm a gentleman. I don't use that kind of language."

They bickered lightly about it all the way back to their room, before kissing and tightly locking the door. But Fate frowned down upon them, not finished with the couple just yet.

* * *

The next two days passed without much activity. Katara and Hakoda exchanged a few tense words on the subject of Zuko before proceeding to ignore each other. Zuko had another meeting with the Council, concerned that Sokka hadn't returned yet, fists (figuratively) blazing and demanding to know about the war. Was it possible that he hadn't heard of the war? That he didn't know anything that Zuko's spies hadn't been able to pick up? These questions troubled Zuko more than anything else. He and Iroh, despite their friendly pretences at dinner the other night, still remained on strained terms over their views on Katara's involvement in the battle. Kanna and Toph, meanwhile, remained happily oblivious to all that was going on.

They all sat together that night in a cozy room, lit by a roaring fire, and chatted. Katara lay leaning against Zuko on a couch, reading a book by the dim light. Zuko read over her shoulder as the adults and Toph talked about their respective day.

"This has got to be the most boring book ever written," Zuko complained after a minute of relaxed silence.

Katara closed the book, resting her thumb in it to keep the page she was on, and tilted her head slightly to Zuko.

"What? It's a classic!" she frowned. "A beautiful novel about a young woman-"

"Who cries and talks about her feelings a lot," Zuko finished off with a roll of his eyes. "As far as I can tell, she just stands there and watches the guy she's supposedly in love with go off and marry someone else!"

"Women are much more complex than men," Gran Gran said, adding her opinions to the discussion.

"Men say what they feel," Iroh argued. "Women keep it bottled up inside of them and make us guess."

"All I'm saying is, the girl isn't going to get him back by standing there bawling her eyes out," Zuko said, shrugging as best he could. "She probably kills herself at the end anyway."

"Zuko!" Katara gasped, smacking him lightly with the book. "Don't say that, I like her!" She paused and bit her lip. "Will you check that that isn't what happens at the end?"

Zuko laughed and took the book from Katara. Holding it above her head, he flicked to the end pages and began to read aloud:

" 'She took the small vial in her delicate hands, knowing as she did the deadliest of poisons that lay inside it. 'If I cannot have my lover, I shall not have my life!' she proclaimed and raised the vial to her lips.' " Zuko flicked ahead a few more pages and closed the book with a soft snap. "Ah."

"What happened?" Katara asked in a small voice.

"The man realized he loved her, came back, stopped her from taking the poison just in time and then they got married and had lots of happy children. The end," Zuko poorly improvised.

"Is that what really happened?" Katara asked, mock-shrewdly.

"Yes." Zuko threw the book over his shoulder. "It's probably better that you throw that book in the fire."

"Your ending was happier," Katara agreed.

"If not as well-written," Iroh chuckled.

"And there go my dreams of becoming a novelist," Zuko sighed. "Still, at least I don't have to write my own happy ending."

He kissed Katara lightly on her forehead just as the door to the room opened. Silhouetted ominously against the doorway was Sokka, his figure standing tensely.

"Sokka!" Gran Gran exclaimed happily, standing up and going to hug her grandson. "We thought you'd fallen off a cliff!"

"Not quite, Gran," Sokka laughed, hugging his grandmother back quickly. If anyone else but Zuko heard how forced Sokka's laugh had been, they didn't say anything about it.

"How was everything?" Katara asked her brother, standing up and also going to hug him. "How was Suki?"

"She was…different," Sokka replied awkwardly as he hugged her back. He greeted the rest of his friends and family before turning to Zuko with a serious expression. "Zuko, I need to talk to you. Alone."

"There's no need," Zuko replied, standing up and looking at Sokka with a matching expression. "You can say it here."

Sokka glanced from Gran Gran's confused expression to Katara's wide-eyed one and sighed.

"Fine. While I was in the Earth Kingdom I heard talk about war between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation."

A sharp intake of gasp echoed from Toph, Hakoda and Gran Gran. A leaden knot was slowly tightening in Katara's stomach as she realized what was about to happen. Zuko however stood calmly and waited for Sokka to finish.

"I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and ask you if it was true," Sokka continued, his tone hard. "Is it?"

"Yes," Zuko replied simply.

Katara released the breath she had been holding sharply. This could not end well. The faces of everyone in the room changed from stunned to furious in a matter of seconds.

"_What?_" Toph demanded, her face scrunched up in disbelieving rage. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry," Zuko said simply.

"I'll make you sorry!" Toph promised, taking a threatening step forward.

"Toph, stop," Katara said, throwing out an arm between her friend and husband. "You don't know the whole story!"

"And you do?" Toph snarled.

Slowly, the accusing eyes of her family burned into her.

"Katara…" Sokka started, his voice coming out strangled in the otherwise silent room. "You knew?"

Katara couldn't meet his eyes as her own misted over with tears of guilt, worry and sadness. A small hint of anger was thrown in there for good measure.

"I…" she whispered, her eyes fixed firmly at his feet. "Yes. I did."

"And you didn't say anything?" Sokka hissed. "You didn't do anything to try and stop it?"

"This is my mess, not hers!" Zuko cut in sharply, moving to stand next to Katara.

"And yet somehow you got her involved," Hakoda said grimly, his forehead creasing. He appeared more sad than angry, but Zuko knew that anger would soon follow.

"She won't be involved in the battle," Zuko answered, dark promise filling his voice.

"What?" Katara asked, turning her head and frowning at Zuko. "You can't just start a war and not expect me to fight!"

"That's exactly what I'm expecting," Zuko informed her. "I won't let you risk your life for my mistake."

"It isn't your decision to make!" Katara answered indignantly, her sadness vanishing swiftly.

"I'm the Fire Lord, every decision is mine to make," Zuko told her as she turned her body to face him, a sure sign that she was focusing on this argument.

"I thought you'd gotten over this," Katara growled. "Are you ever going to learn that you can't control every little aspect of _everything_?"

"I'm not trying to control you, I'm trying to keep you safe!" Zuko replied through gritted teeth, losing his patience. "I don't want you fighting when you don't need to be!"

"Zuko, I'm the Fire Lady now. I've got a responsibility-"

"I've got a responsibility to protect you, but you don't seem to acknowledge that!" Zuko interrupted angrily.

As Katara gave her furious rejoin, the rest of the people in the room stood about awkwardly. News of another war was still sinking in and they wanted to discuss that. Instead they were witnessing a lovers' spat.

"How long have you known about the war?" Sokka cut in, ignoring the death glare that Zuko sent him.

"Not long. A couple of weeks, maybe more," the Fire Lord muttered.

"And you only told me the other day?" Katara demanded, before her angry expression fell to one of incomprehension. "You knew about it when you married me. When you inexplicably moved the wedding date forward for no apparent reason."

She closed her eyes and sighed lightly before shaking her head and praying that her suspicions were unfounded.

"Did you invite us over when the war was confirmed by the Earth Kingdom?" Gran Gran asked, her light eyes shining with quiet wrath. When Zuko didn't answer, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Answer me."

"Please tell me that that isn't true," Katara said, her voice suddenly soft and pleading. "Please tell me you invited my family over because I asked you to."

"I did," Zuko assured her.

"You're lying," Toph spat, every syllable filled with rage and disappointment.

"I'm not!" Zuko shouted back at her, rapidly losing all of his composure. He turned to Katara somewhat desperately. "You asked me to invite them and I did. I want you to be happy."

"But you knew that her family would be a powerful asset in this fight you've set up!" Toph accused. "And you obviously wanted them to find out about the war because you sent Sokka to the Earth Kingdom!"

"The Water Tribe has an agreement with the Fire Nation in relation to acts of war," Iroh pointed out, picking a side and sticking to it. He would defend his nephew even when he was in the wrong. "You would have had to fight with us anyway."

Several angry voices clashed at once.

"Who said anything about fighting with you?"

"You've kept it quiet for so long, how do we know we can trust you?"

"The agreement was void until we married!"

Zuko picked up on the last voice, Katara's, and, in his blind vehemence, turned on her.

"Why do you think I married you so fast?" he spat, his voice slicing clearly through everyone else's.

His question made Katara react as though she had been smacked in the face. She took a swift step back, feeling the eyes of her family and Toph on her as the room fell silent. The air rang with accusation while the fire in the grate still crackled, hissing and spitting. Katara couldn't find the words to voice her feelings. She always knew that her marriage was one of convenience, but had thought that it had only started out like that. But now, knowing that her marriage was a lie, the familiar dull ache of betrayal settled itself in its old place in her heart. She had married Zuko out of love. He had married her because he needed her nation's alliance. She had given him everything…her heart, her body. And all he had given her in return was lies.

With shaking hands, she unfastened the clip to her necklace. It fell to the floor with a clatter. The room's shadows immediately claimed it.

"I'm finished," she told Zuko, her voice unable to rise above a whisper. "Fight your own damn war."

"You can't just walk out on me!" Zuko called after her as she made to leave.

She turned back to him slowly, mildly surprised to see the same torn sadness and desperation that was in her eyes reflected in his.

"Actually, I can," she informed him, her voice remarkably calm considering the tumult of agonizing emotions currently ripping through her chest.

"Do you want to?" Zuko asked, stepping towards her.

All around her, Katara's family tensed, ready to attack Zuko if necessary.

"Does it matter what I want?" Katara asked. "Everything up to now has been a lie."

"What about the treaty?" Zuko asked, frantically clutching on something to make Katara stay.

"Talk to your uncle about it," Katara said bitterly. "It'll be an enlightening conversation for you. Like I said, everything up to now has been a lie."

Tears spilling from the corners of her eyes, she turned and exited the room. While Gran Gran and Toph followed after her, Sokka and Hakoda stayed, acting as human blockades to make sure that Zuko didn't try and follow her.

But their actions were pointless. Zuko's face was twisted with anger and pain as he knelt down and scooped up Katara's necklace. After glancing at it for a moment, he hurled it into the fire with a roar. Flames devoured the carving hungrily, showing what they thought of a unity with the opposite element.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This will be my last update whilst Avatar's still on the air…how weird is that? But more later on that subject.**

**I'm sorry if parts of this chapter aren't up to my usual standard. Blame my lack of proper sleep (that's eight nights in a row, folks!). I'm only keeping wide awake by refilling the largest cup I have with coffee. The cup's so big that the coffee is cold by the time I've reached the bottom XD**

**I'm sorry that I couldn't reply to all of your reviews. Trust me, they really kept me going this last week of nonsleepiness. Thanks so much to my reviewers!**

**This is completely irrelevant, but I'm pretty happy that I guessed Katara's mum's name right (by coincidence) :P I mentioned her name once, back in chapter 20, and it turned out to be right. So yay me for that :D**

**Speaking of, how awesome was The Southern Raiders? It was an epic episode. Even if the Zuko/Katara scenes didn't make it so, then the Sokka-in-the-tent part definitely did. I haven't laughed like that in ages XD**

**I can't believe that Avatar's ending so soon! It's thanks to Avatar AMVs that I started listening to most of my favourite bands, I met a lot of new and awesome people from all over the world (and Kas :P) and I got into fanfiction. So whatever happens in the finale, I'll always be glad that I watched Avatar.**

**Enjoy 'The Ember Island Players' (which might have already aired depending on the time you get this chapter update) and the finale, see you all after the finale and have a great week.**

**- Laura: Avatard and Zutarian forever!**


	27. Heaven's A Lie

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Oh no, here it is again. I need to know when I will fall into decay. Something wrong with every plan of my life. I didn't really notice that you've been here. Set me free, your heaven's a lie. Oh no, here it is again. I need to know, why did I choose to betray you?_

- Heaven's A Lie _by _Lacuna Coil

* * *

Sokka and Hakoda were afraid of Zuko at that moment. Their ill-concealed expressions gave that away. But they stood their ground until they thought that enough time had passed for Katara, Toph and Kanna to have gotten a safe distance away. Then they left without a word, shutting the double doors firmly and leaving an enraged Zuko and an anxious Iroh behind.

"Zuko…" Iroh began hesitantly, stretching out an arm to the young man he was so desperate to reach.

"What did Katara mean?" Zuko asked. His voice was filled with cold fury as he stared into the flames, watching the symbol of his love for Katara slowly burn.

"About what?" Iroh asked nervously, although he knew full well.

"When she said about the treaty. What did she mean?"

Iroh glanced from the flames to Zuko's face, half-masked by shadows. He knew that lying would only make this situation worse, but could he really reveal to his nephew his deceit…especially as it seemed to have played a part in Katara leaving?

"Did you really think that I could honestly go through with attacking the Water Tribe if they didn't ally with us? I have fought for many years to bring peace back to a world so desperately thrown out of balance. Fighting does not lead to peace. Only justice leads to peace." Iroh spoke from the heart, hoping his inspiring words would somehow make Zuko see sense about why Iroh did what he did.

"So you lied." It wasn't a question, merely a cold statement snarled by someone who was reaching his breaking point.

"I did what I thought was best under the circumstances," Iroh corrected carefully. "I have since realized my error in my actions."

"And how long has Katara known that she was able to walk away anytime she wanted?" Zuko hissed, his clenched fists shaking with rage as sparks flew out of the fire in every direction.

"The day after your marriage," Iroh admitted quietly, flinching away when the fire exploded outwards. "I didn't mean to tell her. I was on the medication that the herbalist prescribed and I-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Zuko said darkly. "Just get out."

"Isolating yourself will not heal the pain," Iroh said softly as he turned to leave. "There is still hope for you and Katara."

Zuko just glared into the fire. He wanted nothing more than to go after Katara and force her back to the palace, to make her stay there - _with him_ - forever. His conscience wrestled with his darker side, his instinctive and wilder side. A side that he had vowed to never show Katara again.

"Uncle, wait," Zuko muttered. He sensed Iroh pausing in the darkened room. "I don't trust myself not to do something stupid."

"Stupid like what?" Iroh asked, gently trying to coax his nephew into forming some sort of action plan.

Zuko sighed heavily in frustration. "I want to go after her, but I don't know whether it's to banish her or beg her not to leave me." He snorted in derision. "I'm pathetic."

"You're in love," Iroh corrected.

"Same thing," Zuko scowled. "Either way, I've given people power over me."

"Love isn't about power," Iroh sighed. He hated the times when Ozai's teachings seeped their way back into Zuko's mind. "It's about being able to show someone your true self and trusting them enough not to exploit it. But above anything, balance is important. There are many things about Katara that balance you out, and the same about you with her. That is why you will work out as a couple."

"Uncle, she _just left me_," Zuko snarled through gritted teeth.

"You've worked out your problems in the past," Iroh pointed out, slowly walking closer to Zuko, although cautious in case he lashed out like a caged animal.

"I don't think she'll be able to forgive and forget this time. I don't see why she took it so personally, it's not as if I told her that I didn't love her." Zuko continued to glower into the flames.

Iroh glanced at his nephew, perplexed. Shadows flickered across his scarred face, giving him a darker, unnatural appearance. The flames in front of him danced to his emotions, calm one moment but roaring the next.

"But you may as well have," Iroh said gently.

The fire exploded outwards and Iroh winced.

"I mean," he quickly amended, "the fact that you married Katara with an ulterior motive in mind cancels out that you also did it for love. In her eyes," he hurriedly added, wishing that he had thought this through.

Zuko glared at his uncle, desperately needing someone to blame his troubles on. The elderly man looked steadily back and Zuko slowly realized that he had no one to blame but himself.

"The fact that you also invited her family over for your own reasons instead of for her happiness also adds to her suspicion that you could've just been using her to gain advantage in this war," Iroh continued, trying to soften his tone so it didn't make his words sound as bad.

Zuko's puzzled eyes slowly drifted back to the fire in front of him.

"But…I did want her to be happy," he tried to explain. "I had in mind her happiness when I invited her family here, it just wasn't my number one reason for doing it."

"Ever think that perhaps it should've been?" Iroh asked, moving to stand next to Zuko. The fire was incredibly hot. "And I'm not just talking about this one occasion."

"The marriage started out as a convenience to the world, but now it's more than that." Zuko sighed heavily, a great sadness entering his voice. "How can she not know that I love her, after everything we've been through? After everything I've done for her and with her?"

Iroh glanced up sideways to Zuko on this last line. "With her?"

"Not the right time to talk about this, Uncle," Zuko advised, eyes fixed firmly in front of him.

"Did you use any of the tips that I sug-"

"Uncle!" Zuko cut across. "Not. The right. Time."

"I'm just saying that you can't go chasing Katara down if she is with child," Iroh muttered.

"She isn't," Zuko assured. "We were careful." He paused thoughtfully. "Although you think it's okay for me to go after Katara anyway?"

"I didn't say that," Iroh frowned quickly.

"You said that I shouldn't chase her down if she's pregnant," Zuko said, a small smile spreading across his face. "Which she isn't. So you think it's a good idea for me to go after her."

"Where are you getting this from?" Iroh asked dubiously. "I think it's a terrible idea!"

The smile slid off Zuko's face. "Well then what should I do? I can't just let her leave!"

"I think that that may be the best option," Iroh shrugged sadly.

"No," Zuko answered firmly. "I love Katara but I also have my nation to think about. Sokka might know something crucial about the Crusaders oncoming attack that he hasn't told me yet. I won't let any of them leave before I get Katara back and find out everything I need to know."

"They have a flying bison," Iroh pointed out. "I don't know if you'll be able to stop them."

"Watch me," Zuko said, determinedly turning around and striding towards the door. He reached out and pulled at the ancient looped door handle. The doors didn't open. With a deep frown and a thumping heart, he tugged harder but the doors seemed stuck fast.

"Damn it," he muttered, yanking at the handle roughly. "Damn it!"

"Zuko, what's wrong?" Iroh frowned, crossing the room and joining his nephew.

"The doors," Zuko spat, trying the handle again to no avail. "They've blocked them somehow."

"The boomerang that Sokka carries…perhaps he placed it between the handles?" Iroh mused.

"Just help me get them open!" Zuko shouted, panic rising.

* * *

Sokka and Hakoda stopped running the moment they had reached the stables that Appa rested in. Katara, Toph and Gran Gran leant against the stable wall, almost completely obscured in shadows.

"I put my boomerang in the door handles so they won't be able to get out for a while," Sokka explained the second he got his breath back. "It'll give us a bit of a head start."

"Good thinking," Toph commended. "But we need to go now in case they get out easily and alert soldiers or something."

Momo, curled up into a small ball on Appa's saddle, groaned lightly in his sleep at the interruption as his human friends clambered onto the saddle next to him. Everyone made sure that Katara was the first one on Appa, although she didn't say a word.

"Everyone on safely?" Sokka asked, throwing a glance behind him from his place on Appa's head. He guided Appa to a place from which it would be safe to set off, before murmuring 'yip yip!'

With a groan, the large bison set off into the air. As the cool breeze of the night whipped past them, Katara turned her face towards the darkened sky and away from the others. She wanted to go back. She wanted to be with Zuko, even after the things he had said. So what if he married her for the wrong reasons? She loved him, needed him.

But, she realized with a heavy heart, her family needed her. They wouldn't admit it but she knew that it killed them to be apart from her. They had all lost too many people to be separated by mere distance.

That was why everyone uncomfortably pretended not to hear as Katara cried herself to sleep that night.

A few hours later when dawn broke across the blood-red sky, Katara forced her eyes open. Her sleep had been fractured at best, punctured by dreams and flashbacks of Zuko. She wondered what he was doing now, if he was angry with her, if he missed her…if he was coming to get her. She hoped despite herself that it would be the last one. What had she been thinking, just leaving like that? She hadn't even given Zuko a chance to explain himself. Maybe he had a good reason for lying to her.

With a sigh that sounded more like a sob, Katara heaved herself upright and leant against Appa's saddle. Everyone around her was still asleep, even though the sunlight would probably wake them soon. She noticed that Sokka was still on Appa's head, fast asleep. His faint snores made Katara smile slightly. His snores used to keep her up when they lived in the South Pole but she found that she'd missed them during her time in the Fire Nation.

Doing the only thing she could think of, Katara brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head there. She had given up so much. Was it worth it?

"Katara?" Toph mumbled sleepily from her sleeping place next to Katara's feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine thank you," Katara whispered, not finding the strength to lift up her head. "Please go back to sleep."

But instead of going back to sleep, Toph sat up and frowned deeply.

"Did that even sound sincere to you?" she asked disbelievingly. "Because it sounded like crap to me."

"Toph, just go back to sleep," Katara requested wearily.

"Well I can't now that you've woken me up," Toph muttered grumpily, although Katara knew that she was only putting on an act. She saw the caring and concerned glint in Toph's otherwise empty eyes and it made her inexplicably angry.

"Close your eyes and _try_," Katara suggested harshly, still refusing to lift her head although a light wind made stray strands of her hair flutter about irritatingly.

"I know that you must be really upset about what happened with Zuko," Toph said, ignoring Katara's firm suggestion. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Katara spat, before the fire in her eyes died. "It isn't your fault that he lied to me."

"No, but still." Toph shrugged awkwardly. "I knew you were happy with him."

Her use of the past stung Katara, who was still trying to pretend that it was just another fight.

"I'm going to have to go back," Katara murmured. She wanted her tone to sound resigned so as not to hurt Toph's feelings, but rays of hope sang through at the thought of making everything right.

"What? Why? You can't!"

Katara finally lifted her head up, a frown creasing her forehead. "Like it or not, I do have responsibilities there."

"Responsibilities," Toph replied, very skeptically. "Right. And these 'responsibilities'…they're the only reason that you want to go back?"

Katara closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "I love him, Toph."

"I don't understand why," Toph said after a moment, sounding incredibly frustrated. "He doesn't treat you very properly from what I can tell."

"The last time you were here was different," Katara explained, turning her head away slightly to gaze at the ocean beneath them. "We were still getting to know each other back then."

"And in a few weeks it's all miraculously changed?" Toph asked sarcastically.

"I don't expect you to understand," Katara muttered.

"Good," Toph shot back. "Because I don't."

The two girls sat in stubborn silence for another few minutes until everyone else started to rouse. It took each of them a few seconds to realize the changes that had gone on overnight, but when they remembered they all glanced at Katara uneasily. She refused to meet their eyes.

"So are we going back to the South Pole?" she asked when the silence became too much.

"That's the plan, yes," Hakoda answered. "Unless there's anywhere else you want to go?"

_Home, _Katara thought sadly. _Back to Zuko._

But instead of saying anything, she just shook her head and returned to looking at the water below. It rippled softly and sparkled where the waking sunlight breathed upon it.

"I don't want to ask this but it's important that we know," Sokka said hesitantly, climbing down Appa's neck and joining his family. He ignored the warning looks being shot to him. He sat down opposite Katara and took her hands in his, looking into her eyes seriously. "What caused this war?"

Katara averted her eyes and tried to pull her hands away. Sokka held on gently and she glanced back up at him uncertainly. If he knew the truth - if they all did - then they'd have no real reason to blame Zuko. After all, if Haru hadn't tried to kill Iroh then none of this would've happened and Katara, although guilt stung at her, would rather pin the blame on Haru than Zuko.

"There's some things that you don't know," she started, fixing her eyes downwards again. And with that opening sentence, Katara began to fill in her family on all that had happened with Haru and the Crusaders. She conveniently skipped the part in which Haru nonchalantly told her that he'd have murdered her and her children if it came down to it, unsure that her family actually needed that. Nevertheless, gasps frequently interrupted the story, particularly at the part where Haru's identity was revealed. Still, they allowed her to finish her grim tale before saying anything.

"But…but…" Sokka repeated, shaking his head and dropping Katara's hands as he tried to comprehend the situation. "Haru was good. He was on our side."

"The Day of Black Sun really messed him up," Katara explained quietly. "And I think the Crusaders warped whatever clarity he had left. The Haru that tried to kill Iroh wasn't the same person that we knew."

"Zuko should've known better than to antagonize the Crusaders like that," Hakoda frowned after a moment.

"His uncle had almost just died because of them, I think what he did made sense," Katara argued. "It wasn't the smartest of things to do, but I understand why he did it."

Hakoda muttered something which Katara chose to ignore. Instead she focused on the growing uneasiness in her stomach. She had two paths to choose from. Two destinies. She could return to the Fire Nation or the Water Tribe. But not both.

"So the Water Tribe isn't in danger?" Sokka asked, cutting through Katara's thoughts.

"It isn't," Katara assured. "Zuko wouldn't…" she cleared her throat and tried again. "Zuko wouldn't put them in danger like that."

"Of course not," Sokka replied, his biting sarcasm ruining his attempts at consoling his little sister. "Because attacking nations and destroying families doesn't sound like something the Fire Nation would do _at all_."

"Not all Fire Lords will be like the ones in the past hundred years," Katara answered defensively. "At least Zuko's trying to make it right."

"There's a first time for everything," Toph quipped.

Katara's anger growing, she turned and scowled at her younger friend. "Zuko spent all of his time when I first got to the Fire Nation trying to make things right with me. He gave up a lot of his pride to make me more comfortable."

"He also gave up a lot of your comfort to benefit his pride," Gran Gran pointed out with raised eyebrows. "You have no future with this man."

The growing sense of revelation suddenly hit Katara with full force.

"No…" she murmured, shaking her head softly as a small smile appeared on his face. "I have no future without him."

"Katara-"

"Turn around," Katara said with shining conviction. "Turn Appa around. I'm going back."

* * *

By the time the doors had burst open thanks to some extremely powerful fire blasts (and large things being hurled in its general direction) Zuko knew that it was too late. But he clung onto the precious sliver of hope he had left just long enough to run down to the stables and see for himself that Katara had slipped through his fingers.

As comforting numbness began to spread through his body to delay the crippling agony that would no doubt follow as Katara's departure sank in, Zuko walked slowly across the narrow, stony path that led away from the stables. Stray strands of straw had been scattered across the ground, no doubt left over from where the bison had been hurriedly walked from its stable. Everything around Zuko seemed to mock him, from the leering shadows to the overly-bright, almost full moon. His feet scuffed the ground as he turned his back on the world and walked away.

He soon found himself in the gardens, with memories flashing through his mind. This had been the place where he and Katara had argued, flirted, had their first kiss, fought. It had been a beautifully symbolic place…now it was nothing more than a collection of plants and trees with a pond stuck in the middle and the occasional bench.

The memories spun faster and faster in his mind until they became confusingly merged. Overwhelmed and disconnected, Zuko walked over to the nearest bench and sat down on it. He put his head in his hands and let the tears that had been welling escape and trickle down his cheeks.

* * *

"Katara-"

"If you won't do it then I'll jump out and Waterbend my way back to the Fire Nation," Katara shrugged, standing up to emphasize her point.

"Katara, if you'd _listen _for a moment then you might hear what we have to say!" Toph said, sighing in disgust as she yanked Katara's hand so hard that the girl toppled back down onto the saddle.

"Which is 'Gods no, we're not taking you back', right Toph?" Sokka said pointedly, with a sharper edge to his voice.

"Actually I'm with Sugar Queen on this one," Toph shrugged.

"You changed your tune pretty quickly," Katara frowned suspiciously, worried that Toph was using some sort of psychological trick on her.

"And you're complaining?" Toph asked shrewdly.

"Nope," Katara said quickly, holding up her hands. "Please, continue arguing my case."

"There's no case to argue because you're not going back," Hakoda said, his eyes glinting as he lay down the law.

"No way," Sokka echoed.

Katara scoffed quietly, shaking her head. When she looked up, her eyes were flaming. "You're hypocrites, you know that?" she spat at her brother and father. "You're ordering me about, doing the exact same thing that you condemned Zuko for doing!"

"We're doing it for your own good!" Sokka argued heatedly. "You've been married to Zuko for a couple of months and you're already involved in a war! We're taking you back home and away from all of that."

"If I don't fight in this war then it might spread, and then I'll have to fight anyway!" Katara pointed out. "Or do you want to re-live the past hundred years?"

Unable to find a suitable reply to this, Sokka just glowered at his sister. "I'm trying to protect you here, like mom would've wanted me to."

"Mom would've wanted me to be happy," Katara challenged. "Like it or not, I'm happy with Zuko. I _love _him."

She glanced around her, suddenly aware that no one had guided Appa around like she had requested. With an irritated sigh, she stood up and, trying not to fall, stepped over to Appa's neck.

"Katara, sit down," Hakoda called. "Let's just talk about this before you do something rash."

"I've already done something rash," Katara shrugged, only half-turning around. "I shouldn't have left so easily."

"There's an island somewhere around here that we passed last time, why don't we stop and talk about this properly?" Gran Gran suggested fretfully. "Maybe we'll be able to get some breakfast and clear our heads."

Katara bit her lip thoughtfully. She wanted to get back to the Fire Nation as soon as she could and repair the damage that she'd caused, but it would take hours to convince her father and brother in conditions like this. Perhaps stopping off somewhere would be for the best…

"Okay," Katara nodded, slowly beginning to sit down again. "But I'm not changing my mind."

Sokka eyed her cautiously before trying a tentative smile. "So what type of food do you think there'll be on this island?"

"As long as it's the edible kind, I'm not bothered," Katara shrugged, glad that another argument had been avoided for the moment.

"Food has to be edible, otherwise it isn't classed as food," Toph frowned. "Right?"

"I don't know," Katara admitted, quickly going with this much more light-hearted topic. "Sokka's cooking is pretty inedible, although you couldn't really call that 'food' so much as 'disaster'."

"It wasn't that bad," Sokka pouted.

"You tried to cook penguin fat once and nearly blew us all up," Hakoda remembered fondly.

"I was four," Sokka muttered. "And it was seal fat."

The family bickered, ignoring the undercurrent of thick tension in the air, until the unmistakable outline of an island appeared on the horizon. Momentary relief coursed through Katara; part of her worried that the island had been made up just to shut her up until they reached the South Pole. Relief was quickly replaced with worry and doubt. What if they stayed at the island too long and Zuko did something stupid?

"We won't be attacked, will we?" Sokka asked suddenly, turning to Katara with panicked azure eyes.

"I'm married to the leader of their nation, I think we'll be okay," Katara assured, although she silently admitted to herself that the same worry had flickered in and out of her mind earlier.

"Besides, why would anyone see the Avatar's bison as a threat anymore?" Toph muttered, her sightless eyes sad as tresses of her dark hair fluttered in the wind.

No one could bring themselves to answer.

An hour later the group lay sprawled on the golden beach, resting their stomachs after a feast of various different fruits. Appa had nestled under some nearby palm trees for shade and Momo had curled up on top of him.

"Not to ruin the moment here-" Sokka started, sitting himself up and addressing the group.

"Because you never do that," Toph cut in sarcastically.

"But we need to know what we're doing," Sokka continued, pointedly ignoring Toph. "If we just ignore the war that Zuko caused-"

"He didn't cause it," Katara growled, propping herself up on her elbows and glowering at her brother.

"Then it might spread to the rest of the world, like Katara pointed out before," Sokka carried on determinedly. "At which point we'll have to fight anyway. That means that-"

"I doubt that'll happen," Hakoda frowned.

"Can I finish a sentence please?!" Sokka screeched, throwing his arms up towards the sun in an overly-dramatic fashion.

Everyone looked at him, alarmed. Their silence prompted him to continue.

"Thank you," he breathed with a nod. "As I was saying, I think that we should tackle the problem head on. Nip it in the bud. Go to its heart and destroy it from within. Find the root of-"

"We get it," Toph grumbled. "Make your point."

"We should go back," Sokka reluctantly said after a moment. "Even if it is just for the battle."

"Sokka, it isn't wise to involve ourselves in something like this," Hakoda growled.

"If we don't get involved now then it could get a lot worse," Sokka told his father. "I want Katara to come back home with us as well but we need to make sure that there'll still be a home to go back to. If another war breaks out then who do you think will come off worse? We have a duty to do. We need to follow Aang's example, set the world right again and keep it that way this time."

A silence followed his words that was only filled with the gentle sound of the waves lapping onto the shore.

"Hey, no one interrupted me this time," Sokka mused to himself with a grin. Then his expression became serious again and he looked to his family. "Are you with me?"

"Yes," Toph and Katara answered immediately.

"If you think it'll help," Gran Gran nodded.

They all turned to Hakoda, who was scowling into the sand. He gathered a fistful of sand and slowly began to shake it through his fingers.

"I don't like it," he said after a moment. "I don't like putting my family in unnecessary danger."

Everyone held their breath.

"But if it means avoiding another war then fine," he continued, refusing to look at anyone in the way that a stubborn child might.

"You're making the right choice," Gran Gran told her son gently. "I know it may not seem like it now, but you are."

Hakoda didn't answer.

Eager to get back to the palace but not wanting to seem it in case she hurt her family's feelings, Katara glanced up at the sky to where the sun was glowing.

"We should be heading back to the palace soon," she said. "After all, we don't know when the Crusaders are planning their invasion."

"Actually…" Sokka corrected, biting his lip. "There's some things I should tell you that I found out when I went to the Earth Kingdom…"

This made Katara - and the rest of the group - sit up straight. As Sokka explained what he had discovered, they listened in horrified silence. There was a pause after he had finished.

"We need to go," Katara said, standing up quickly. "Now."

* * *

"Zuko…you've been out here an awfully long time," Iroh said, frowning in concern as he hovered beside the bench his nephew had practically glued himself to these past few hours. "Would you like something to eat or perhaps something to read?"

"I'm fine," Zuko answered monotonously without looking up from his feet.

Iroh seriously doubted this but didn't press it. Instead, he cast around for a topic that wouldn't remind Zuko of Katara. His eyes landed on the pond where the turtle ducks paddled around, occasionally quacking loudly.

"They seem happy enough," he commented, sitting himself down next to Zuko.

"They're animals who live in a pond," Zuko answered flatly after lifting his eyes briefly to see what his uncle was talking about. "What reason do they have not to be happy?"

Iroh sighed heavily. It would be better to address the situation sooner rather than later.

"Zuko, I know that you're hurting over Katara but-"

"Then you know to leave me alone," Zuko muttered, turning his head away from his uncle's.

"I understand that you need time to comprehend what has happened, but there is a war about to start," Iroh reminded. "Besides, Katara will come back once she-"

"_Don't_," Zuko hissed suddenly. He sensed Iroh glancing at him in alarm and shut his eyes tightly. "I can't think that, because if I do and she doesn't come back…"

"She will," Iroh promised softly. "She's just upset about your fight. She'll come around shortly and when she does, she won't want to see that you haven't made any preparations for battle."

Zuko opened his eyes and looked up. The tentative hope shining in his eyes made him seem much younger than his eighteen years.

"Do you really think so, Uncle?" he asked with cautious optimism.

"I really do," Iroh nodded with a smile. "Now how about that food? We had some lovely vegetables imported in this morning."

Zuko raised his eyebrow but a small smile played on his lips. "Uncle. Do I look like I want vegetables after sitting out here all day?"

"Vegetables are the food of real men!" Iroh said in mock horror as he stood up.

"Meat is the food of Gods," Zuko retaliated as he too stood. "So ha."

"Fine," Iroh sulked. "But don't expect to get your way all the time."

"Why would I expect anything else?" Zuko asked with a laugh that sounded forced even to his own ears. "I'm the Fire Lord after all."

_Only I don't know what good a Fire Lord is without his Fire Lady, _he thought sadly as he and Iroh made their way out of the gardens.

* * *

By the time Appa had reached the palace, night had fallen again. It had seemed to take them longer to return to the palace than it had to leave, despite Katara's constant demands of 'can't he go any faster?'. She knew not to push Appa too hard but she was determined to get back to Zuko and tell him the news as soon as she could. She was slightly surprised to find how much she missed him. She knew that she would, of course, but hadn't been prepared for the true of pain of separation. It was like a physical ache with only one cure, and that cure lay at the end of the journey.

"They won't shoot us down or anything, will they?" Sokka asked Katara uncertainly as the palace came into view. "I mean, you did kind of walk out on their leader."

"No," Katara assured with a slight frown. "But you've been asking that a lot recently."

Sokka shrugged. "Well, y'know, last time we were in the Fire Nation, we got shot at. A lot."

"Point taken," Katara nodded. "But things were different back then. Set me down near the gardens, will you? I want to talk to Zuko alone first."

"Are you sure that's wise?" At Katara's glare, Hakoda held his hands up defensively. "I'm just concerned."

"It's wise," Katara told him. "He'll be a little upset with me but we've gotten over fights in the past."

She ignored the uncomfortable silence among the group and the traitorous little voice inside her own head that whispered that she was wrong. Instead she peered out as far as she could, both eager and nervous to see Zuko again.

Much to everyone's relief, Appa flew safely over the high walls designed to protect the palace and, with little more than a soft groan, began to descend near the stables in which they had fled just hours ago. Suddenly filled with nerves, Katara climbed shakily to the ground while the rest of the group stayed firmly on the bison.

"Do you want us to come and find you if you don't come back in a certain amount of time?" Hakoda frowned worriedly.

"I'll be fine Dad," Katara smiled. "Stay here and I'll come back for you when things are settled."

"Be careful!" Sokka called after his little sister as she began the walk to see her husband. He turned anxiously to his family. "We shouldn't have let her go alone."

"What choice did we have?" Gran Gran sighed. "You know how stubborn she is. She didn't want us there and so there was no point in arguing.  
But we'll be close on hand in case there's any trouble."

"Yeah, at the first sign of fire, run," Toph advised dryly.

There was uneasy laughter.

* * *

Katara pushed aside the low hanging branches from her path, jumping at every little noise. The palace grounds seemed much more sinister at night. She supposed that this could be said of any place really, but it didn't change the dramatic increase of her heart rate each time she thought she heard something behind her.

_Calm down, _she scolded herself as she reached the safe, familiar surroundings of the gardens. _Nothing's going to hurt you._

At that precise moment, a sharp blast of fire sent her reeling to the ground as it almost slammed into her side. She shouted out in pain and shock and fear, the three main emotions dominating her mind at that moment.

"Katara?"

Zuko's voice made Katara look up, part of the pain already beginning to subside. Her clothes were barely singed and she didn't want to think about what shape they - and she - would be in had she not dodged most of the fire.

"I thought you were an intruder," Zuko muttered in way of an explanation for attacking. He didn't sound particularly sorry.

"No harm, no foul," Katara smiled awkwardly.

Her quiet confidence at seeing Zuko again was slowly slipping away as he stood there, not making any effort to help her up. Realizing that that wasn't about to change anytime soon, she stood up unassisted. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again after seeing Zuko's expression. His eyes were cold and guarded, his mouth a thin line on his impassive face. He stood stiffly although there was a readiness in the way he stood, as though he would run or attack the split second he thought he had to. Katara frowned as she took all this in.

"So…I'm back," she said after an unbearable amount of silence. Her gentle voice cracked like a whip in the still night.

"Did you forget something?" Zuko asked, this voice so different than his usual one that Katara shrank back slightly. "Like, maybe, your husband?"

Katara didn't know how to answer at first. She frowned again.

"I know that I…overreacted," she said carefully. "But I came back."

"Why?" Zuko asked darkly. "Because you figured a way that it'd benefit you? Because you were worried I'd attack the Water Tribe anyway?"

"Because I love you," Katara corrected, taking an angry step forward and quickly regretting it. Zuko had tensed the moment she moved and his eyes flashed dangerously. "I was only gone for a day…I didn't mean for you to be worried or upset."

"You should have thought of that before you left me!" Zuko shouted, losing his indifferent façade. "You gave back the necklace I made for you _for our marriage _and you walked out! What was I supposed to think?"

"I don't know," Katara said helplessly. "I just needed time to process what you said-"

"Because we've _never _had a fight before," Zuko agreed, biting sarcasm souring his tone. He scowled at the ground, trying to get his temper back into check. "You shouldn't have left."

"I know," Katara agreed quietly. "I'm sorry, I just needed to clear my head. It was a lot to expect me to take in and…you said some things that…" she trailed off, looking down sideways as she struggled for words. "That hurt me."

"So this is my fault," Zuko spat arrogantly. His derisive tone suggested that he should've known that Katara would try to blame it on him, although she was doing no such thing.

"I didn't say that," Katara sighed, trying to keep her patience.

"You might as well have!" Zuko exploded, his furious eyes snapping back up. "It's what you always do! Blame everything on me to get rid of whatever guilt you're carrying around!"

Katara opened her mouth angrily before closing it again. She repeated this several times before deciding on, "That isn't fair."

"No," Zuko agreed. "It isn't."

They glared at each other for a moment.

"I honestly didn't mean to hurt you," Katara said with a bite of impatience. "And I'm sorry if I did. I love you more than I can say and I just want you to be safe." She bit her lip in agitation. "I know when the Crusaders are going to attack."

"Oh yeah?" Zuko asked, his anger still too strong to concentrate on Katara's words properly. "When?"

"In two days."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys, really sorry about the cliffhanger there. This time it actually wasn't intentional. I'm off to the airport in a couple of hours to go to Spain for two weeks (and before you say anything: yes, I do travel an awful lot XD) and anything I wrote after that last sentence would just seem a little forced. **

**The finale - apart from a couple of things I didn't really like - was amazing. When Zuko took the lightning for Katara…it was just great. Even if Zutara didn't happen, we've still got our moments :D I'm going to be writing my own version of what happened in that scene (just like about every other Zutarian on this website lol) sometime during the next two weeks. When it's finished, would you like me to post it or have you read enough of those types of fics?**

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, you continue to inspire me and make me happy (:**

**I couldn't decide on a song for this chapter, but eventually went for 'Heaven's A Lie'. My friend sent me a few Lacuna Coil songs that I really like…which is probably a good thing, since we're seeing Bullet for my Valentine in concert later this year and Lacuna Coil are one of their support acts.**

**Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a great next couple of weeks :D**

**- Momo**


	28. Frontline

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_We'll stand beside one another 'cause it ain't over yet. It doesn't mean that we can't learn from our past. Everybody with your fists raised high, let me hear your battle cry tonight. Stand beside or step aside for the frontline._

- Frontline _by _Pillar

* * *

Zuko stared at her, trying to comprehend what she had just told him. Even the crickets had ceased their chirping in astonishment.

"Two days?" he repeated after a long moment.

"Two days," Katara confirmed solemnly. "Sokka found out when he went to the Earth Kingdom. Which," she added with a slightly bitter laugh, "I suppose was your intention from the start."

"The Crusaders are attacking in two days?" Zuko pressed urgently, apparently not have gotten the message yet.

"Yes," Katara answered clearly. "They're coming from the general direction of Chameleon Bay and they've gained support. Not enough so that we need to be worried but we should probably take another few men just in case."

Zuko sighed heavily and switched immediately into Fire Lord mindset.

"I need to prove that I can protect my nation from any attack, no matter how small," he mused. "I should take a few men, but more than twenty and I'll seem weak. They'll be at a disadvantage twice over if we conduct a surprise attack _and _they're out at sea. Not having access to their natural element will be a problem, unless-"

"Actually, they will have access to some earth," Katara cut in hesitantly. "Unless you can make your ship run on something other than coal."

Zuko swore vehemently. He began to pace up and down next to the pond, his golden eyes distant as he tried to make a plan. He stopped suddenly and stared up at Katara with hope.

"Will they realize that they can attack using the coal?" he asked.

"Yes," Katara nodded. "A few years ago the people from Haru's village and some others got captured by the Fire Nation and imprisoned on their ship. Sokka, Aang and I made them see that they could use the coal to escape." She paused. "Kind of wishing that we hadn't done that now."

"You did the right thing at the time," Zuko assured distantly, forgetting his anger and hurt at Katara over her leaving in the first place. For now, anyway.

The night was silent around them for a few minutes. Katara decided to throw caution to the wind and voice her thoughts.

"Aren't you looking over a huge advantage here?" she asked, indicating herself. "The attack will take place at sea and, well, I'm a Waterbender."

"You're also my wife and I won't put you in any danger," Zuko growled, stopping in his tracks and preparing himself to fight his point of view.

"I'm also the Fire Lady and depriving the Fire Nation of a key component to win the battle is stupid, reckless and unpatriotic," Katara argued.

Zuko's lips twitched. "You're lecturing _me _on patriotism?"

"Bet you didn't see that one coming," Katara quipped.

But the light mood didn't last. The small smile on Zuko's face died and he shook his head.

"I don't know how you feel about me anymore but the way I feel about you hasn't changed. It never will. And I refuse to send you anywhere with even the slightest possibility of death. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you. In fact, you…" he turned away and closed his eyes tightly as his voice broke, "you should just leave now so I don't put you in any more danger."

"You don't mean that," Katara whispered. It broke her heart to see him like this.

"Don't I?" Zuko asked in a quivering voice that answered his own question.

"No," Katara replied softly, stepping towards him and placing a hand gently on his arm. He half-turned his head towards her. "We've both fought so hard for us to be together. No one thought we'd work and we proved them all wrong. We're up against the one thing that could be strong enough to tear us apart and you're sending me away? Let me fight with you. We have to do this together."

"Nothing can tear us apart," Zuko murmured after a moment.

"No, but it might be difficult to keep our relationship alive if one of us is dead," Katara teased. "Not that anyone's going to die," she added hurriedly. "But why take the chance? You know that we'll be much stronger with me there. And I can convince my family and Toph to fight with us as well."

"How can I make sure that you're safe?" Zuko asked uncertainly.

"You can't," Katara answered softly. "But I can more than hold my own, especially surrounded by water."

Zuko was silent for a long time. Then he fully turned around and looked at Katara with intense eyes.

"Promise you'll be careful," he murmured.

"I promise," Katara answered.

"Then you can fight," Zuko told her, his voice almost disappearing into the dark night.

"_We_ can fight," Katara corrected. "Side by side. It'll make a nice change."

Zuko laughed reluctantly. "You won't forget halfway through and attack me, will you?"

"No," Katara laughed, before becoming serious. "But my family might."

"Ah. Your family." Zuko sighed. "I suppose I've drastically gone down in popularity now, haven't I?"

"You're lower than ever," Katara agreed.

"But are we okay?" Zuko asked, worry and doubt beginning to creep into his mind again.

"We're more than that," Katara smiled, leaning up to kiss him.

* * *

"I don't like this," Hakoda scowled, drumming his fingers agitatedly against an irritated Appa. "I don't like leaving her alone with-"

"Her husband?" Gran Gran cut in, her gray eyebrows rising. "Katara knows how to handle herself, she isn't in any danger."

"She's with the man who single-handedly resurrected a war that's been lying dormant for the past three years," Sokka growled.

"To be fair, the war was just waiting to be reignited," Toph shrugged dismissively. "All it needed was a spark."

"Interesting that you used a lot of fire related words there," Hakoda mused.

"It wasn't intentional," Toph frowned. "Yeah, I'm as upset with Zuko as the rest of you are, he's an idiot of epic proportions, but he makes Katara happy. She's not had the best track record when it comes to trusting people but she trusts Zuko and so I think the rest of us should as well."

"I'm choosing to ignore that for the sake of our friendship," Sokka muttered, leaving the rest of the group leaning in silence against Appa.

When faint footsteps could be heard a few minutes later, Hakoda and Sokka immediately tensed before stepping forward protectively in front of Gran Gran and Toph.

"It's just us!" Katara called through the dim light.

This news did not console Sokka and Hakoda in the slightest.

"Down boys," Toph muttered, noticing their heartbeats hammering inside their chests.

Katara appeared suddenly onto the stony path her family stood on, her wide smile evident even in the poor light that lanterns brought the area. Everyone knew what to expect even before Zuko sheepishly followed his wife a moment after. Still, a stunned silence filled the pathway. It was, surprisingly, broken by Zuko after a few seconds.

"I know how much you all must mistrust me by now," he started. "But if we could just leave the confrontation scene for later, I'd really appreciate it. We're getting invaded in about seventy two hours, give or take, and I need to prove to my nation that I'm strong enough to deal with any problem."

"Who's 'we'?" Sokka scowled. "This is your problem."

"_Our _problem," Katara corrected, pointedly taking Zuko's hand.

"This is ridiculous," Hakoda muttered with a disbelieving, bitter laugh. He strode forward abruptly and shoved an accusing finger in Zuko's face. "You've torn apart my family and corrupted my daughter, you-!"

"Dad!" Katara cut across sharply, her cerulean eyes blazing like fire. "Zuko's right. We need to be spending time on figuring out a battle plan, not throwing around accusations and arguing! You have to decide…are you with us or not?"

"I'm with you," Toph answered almost immediately, and Katara could've kissed her blind friend for her loyalty.

"I'll offer whatever help a defenseless old woman can," Gran Gran added, grinning wickedly to show what she thought of her description of herself.

Katara laughed quietly. "Thank you Toph, Gran Gran," she murmured.

"Thank you," Zuko echoed, keeping his eyes warily fixed onto Hakoda, who had backed up a few steps.

After a few moments, all eyes turned to rest on either Sokka or Hakoda, who glared back sulkily, knowing when they had been beaten.

"If the Crusaders beat us here then they might turn on the rest of the world," Katara pointed out softly.

"How can they? Their group consists of about twenty five people!" Sokka snapped back.

"It does now," Katara agreed. "But if we let them just waltz into the Fire Nation and start attacking, they'll gain a lot of supporters from the Earth Kingdom, who'll then come flooding in and before we know it, it'll be another battle on the scale of the Day of Black Sun. It's best to nip it in the bud now. Can we count on your help or not?"

Sokka sighed sullenly. "Fine. I'm in."

Katara beamed at him and he reluctantly smiled back.

"Hakoda?" Zuko asked. "Are you with us?"

"Do I have a choice?" Hakoda muttered. "I won't let my children plunge head first into any sort of fight without me."

"So…is that a yes?" Katara asked, daring to be hopeful.

"It's a yes," Hakoda confirmed reluctantly.

"Then I should assemble the Council," Zuko said, squeezing Katara's hand gently before letting it go. "If you could all meet outside the war room in about half an hour then we can start the plans."

"Half an hour?" Katara repeated curiously. "Does it really take that long to wake a few old men?"

"Don't call them that to their faces," Zuko advised with a laugh. "And I'll need to fill them in in the current…uh…_situation_ with our new allies."

"We can't be there for that?" Hakoda asked, immediately suspicious.

"I don't want you hearing some of the things they might say," Zuko shrugged truthfully. "A lot of them are set in their ways and aren't exactly filled with compliments."

"We'll just stay out of it," Katara intervened before an argument could start up. She turned to her family and Toph. "In the meantime, should we get something to eat?"

"Yes please!" Sokka answered, almost before she had even finished her question.

"Kitchens it is," Katara nodded.

"I can get the servants to bring you something to the dining hall if you're hungry," Zuko frowned.

"I'm well in with the kitchen staff," Katara smiled. "Plus I want to see Aika and her family again."

"She's the one whose mother's ill, right?" Zuko asked, frowning as he tried to remember.

"You _do_ listen!" Katara grinned happily.

"Course I do," Zuko nodded, leaning forward to kiss her and suddenly thinking better of it when Hakoda cleared his throat dangerously. "You go and get something to eat, I'll see you soon."

"Good luck with the Council," Katara replied as he began to walk away.

"Use some of your charm," Sokka called after him dryly. "That usually works."

"Sokka," Katara reprimanded with a frown, but she was unable to keep from smiling. At last, her two families had joined forces together. She didn't know how long the alliance would last but at least now there was something to work from.

* * *

Early the next morning, after three hours of tedious planning (the Council had an incredible knack for making 'strategic planning for a battle' boring) Katara trudged up to her old room with Toph in tow. She didn't want her friend to be alone on a night like this, particularly as she remembered Toph's unspoken gratitude on her first visit that she didn't have to be alone.

"Sure Zuko won't mind if I take you away for a night or two?" Toph asked as they neared the room.

"I'm sure," Katara answered firmly. "And please don't say things like that in front of my family."

"But they must know that…I mean, you guys are married now and-"

"I know. But I think my dad's head might actually explode if you say anything," Katara shrugged uncomfortably. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Okay." Toph paused for a few seconds. "So, looking forward to the battle?"

"What kind of question is that?" Katara frowned.

Toph laughed bitterly. "Me neither. There was a time I actually got a kick out of fighting but every time I do…"

"You get flashbacks," Katara finished with an understanding sigh. "At least you haven't had to spar with Zuko. There's still a part of it that feels wrong, like I'm actually fighting for my life again."

"That should make it interesting in a couple of days then," Toph said.

Katara laughed shortly in agreement as they reached the room. She unlocked the door and smiled as the familiar smell of her first room here washed over her. Someone had moved very quickly in order to get everything ready for the guests, including their nightclothes and a set of clothes for the next day lay out neatly on the double bed.

"I take it we're sharing a bed again?" Toph asked, before walking forward and collapsing on the bed.

"Yes," Katara confirmed unnecessarily. "So don't kick me this time."

"Would I?" Toph asked with mock innocence.

"Yes," Katara said again with a laugh. "And it hurts. So don't."

"Earthbender's honor," Toph promised, making a cross over her heart as she sat upright and felt around for her nightclothes.

"Here." Katara passed her friend what she was looking for, before getting changed herself.

A few minutes later they got into bed and Katara blew out the candles.

"Two days is going to go by really fast, isn't it?" Toph sighed. "Usually we have at least a week to prepare."

"But it won't be anywhere near the scale of the Day of Black Sun," Katara said, comforting Toph. "That's why Zuko's only taking out one ship and a few soldiers. Plus it's going to be a full moon so if needs be I can always Bloodbend."

"I guess you can always just make a really big wave and capsize their ships if you have to," Toph added more optimistically.

"That's the spirit," Katara laughed. "Now get some sleep, we've got a day of training ahead of us."

* * *

The next day was tough, even by Fire Nation standards. Zuko wanted to make sure they were all up to scratch, so, at sunrise, he brought out the handful of soldiers he had picked to fight in one day's time and lined them up in the sandy sparring arena. Then an hour later he ordered Katara, her family and Toph to be roused and brought down to join them.

Toph's thoughts on the matter - and on Zuko himself - were not pleasant and were echoed many times throughout that day.

They all saw a side to the Fire Lord that day that they had thought long dead. The calm Zuko that they knew had gone. In his place was the demanding, driven Zuko that had been so determined to capture the Avatar. He shouted out orders and, if the moves weren't up to scratch, commanded for them to be repeated. The soldiers were used to this and didn't complain, but the rest of the group certainly did. After successfully defending herself eight different times and being told to do it again, Toph stamped on the ground angrily and suddenly Zuko disappeared in a cloud of dust and rubble.

"Toph!" Katara shrieked after she realized what had happened. "Bring him back!"

"He's fine," Toph answered with a roll of her eyes. "I made a little cavern down there. Well, he'll run out of oxygen in about a minute, but until then he's fine."

"Toph!" Katara repeated with a growl. "Bring. Him. Back!"

"You're no fun," Toph muttered, before lifting her hands rapidly.

Zuko came flying up out of the ground and landed on his back. Katara and the soldiers rushed to his side to check if he was okay.

"That…wasn't funny," Zuko snarled at Toph, in between a coughing fit.

"It wasn't meant to be," Toph shot back. "You almost made Katara cry before, Sokka had to take a ten minute cooling off time because of you and you're working everyone else into the ground! Now stop being such a tyrant and let us fight how we know best!"

"Does everyone feel like this?" Zuko asked dangerously as he got to his feet.

"No Sir!"

"We disagree!"

"Your Highness knows best!"

"I don't think they're the best ones to ask for an unbiased opinion," Toph scowled, indicating the soldiers who hadn't hesitated in their responses to assure Zuko that he was in the right.

"Well everyone else is biased towards you!" Zuko pointed out heatedly.

"Not everyone," Toph answered with a pointed look to Katara.

"What?" Katara asked innocently, her azure eyes wide as everyone turned to look at her.

"Who do you think is right here?" Toph asked, looking suddenly amused.

"What?" Katara repeated in the same tone.

"Me or Toph?" Zuko asked, his eyes also alight with amusement at how the situation had played out.

"Aren't we supposed to be training?" Katara demanded after a few moments of silence. "We've got a battle to fight, come on!"

She marched off and slowly everyone else followed her, slipping back into training easily.

"She would've chosen me," Toph informed Zuko confidently as they walked together.

"Yeah, right," Zuko answered sarcastically. "What makes you think that?"

"Because I can do this," Toph replied, stamping the ground to the side of her again.

Katara turned around just in time to see Zuko vanish into the ground again.

"Toph!" she bellowed.

"Fine, fine," Toph muttered, freeing the Fire Lord once more.

* * *

Dinner that night was tenser than ever before. Katara found it ironic that even her arrival in the Fire Nation hadn't caused as much tension as this. Everyone picked at their food in silence, contemplating the next day. That would be even tougher than today, no doubt. No one wanted to think of what lay beyond tomorrow.

"So is it the same drill tomorrow?" Toph asked with attempted nonchalance that still managed to be comforting.

"If by that you mean burying me in dirt, then no," Zuko answered, glancing up. "But we'll be training again, yes."

"How come Iroh, Dad and Gran Gran got to skip today?" Sokka complained after swallowing his latest mouthful. He was the only one at the table who had actually eaten anything.

"We're old," Iroh laughed.

"And experienced," Gran Gran added.

"We're experienced!" Sokka argued with a pout. "If we have to stand out there in the baking heat for hours on end, listening to Zuko shout, then you do too!"

"Nope," Iroh disagreed cheerfully.

"Oh, come on," Katara laughed. "That isn't fair. At least make Dad come out and suffer along with us."

"When you put it that way…" Hakoda said musingly, pretending to consider it.

"At least come out to watch Toph trap Zuko underground," Sokka said with a sudden grin. "That isn't worth missing for anything."

"I'll think about it," Hakoda said, smiling briefly before his expression became somber. "But I'd like another Council meeting tonight to go over what the plan is again."

"It's best to be sure," Iroh nodded in agreement.

Katara sighed inaudibly, certain that this meeting would be as difficult to sit to as the other one had. They all knew the plan, there was no point in obsessing over it. There was nothing that would stop the poisonous seed of doubt and pessimism anyway.

* * *

The next day passed in a blur. Arrangements for battle hadn't left the Council meeting and yet unease was spreading through the palace like a virus. Everyone, from the higher nobles to the lowliest of servants, knew that something big was going on.

The chosen few going to battle would steal away at night and travel down to Fire Nation shores, setting sail and preparing to lie in wait for the enemy. Everyone had agreed it was better to be too early rather than too late.

Training that day was intense, with everyone focusing harder than the previous day. The reality was beginning to sink in and it only pushed them harder. Knowing that the advantages were on their side wasn't much help; fighting never came with an absolute guarantee of winning. Even Toph allowed Zuko to shout at them all until his throat was raw without complaint. The sun beat down mercilessly, making them all glad that they would be attacking at night where the moon couldn't burn their skin and make the sweat drip.

They continued their training until the very late afternoon, taking as few breaks as possible to make sure that they were prepared for what was coming. When the sun slowly began to droop, Zuko called everyone to a stop.

"I want you to rest until tonight," he shouted to everyone in the arena. "Eat, freshen up, whatever, but don't be late. I don't have to tell you how important this is."

As everyone sloped back off to the palace, Katara fell into step beside Zuko.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," Zuko answered, taking her hand. "Just nervous."

"About what?" Katara probed, hoping that by talking about his fears, it would help him.

"Dying, mainly."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, that isn't a problem,." Katara told him dismissively. "As if I'm going to let some rebels take you away from me."

"Hey, that's my line," Zuko complained mildly before sighing. "I know that the odds are with us but since when has that ever mattered?"

"Are you kidding?" Katara asked, a slight bitter undertone in her otherwise teasing voice. "Every fight we've had ended up with you winning."

"You knocked me out at the South Pole," Zuko reminded.

"You knocked me out first," Katara shrugged. "Team Bad have won a lot, now it's our turn."

"Team Bad?" Zuko repeated, amused. "Is that what you called us?"

"No, but what we _did_ call you is unrepeatable," Katara replied sweetly. "Honestly, take a nice hot bath, maybe light a few candles-"

"And is this before or after I officially become a woman?" Zuko asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Shut up, it's relaxing," Katara informed him with a smile.

"It'd be more relaxing if you were in there with me," Zuko suggested lightly.

"Actually I was going to spend some time with Sokka and Toph before we leave tonight," Katara said quietly, her words changing the atmosphere abruptly. "We thought we'd go into the throne room together."

"Oh, right," Zuko said, feeling like the world's biggest idiot.

"But we can make a date for when we get back to the Fire Nation," Katara assured him.

"I have to make a booking to see you now?"

"I'm very popular," Katara answered with a shrug before she laughed. "I'm not hungry so I'll just skip dinner. See you later."

She kissed Zuko on the cheek before she veered off in the direction of the gardens, leaving him considering the very feminine yet oddly appealing idea of a bath.

* * *

"We really miss you, Aang," Sokka murmured in the throne room two hours later.

"So much," Katara added in a trembling whisper. Sokka was on her left, Toph on her right, and she each held one of their hands.

"I think you'd be proud of us though," Toph said. "We're doing what you'd have wanted us to do. We haven't killed Zuko yet."

"I've hit him a couple of times but that's it," Sokka said with a small note of pride in his voice.

"I buried him underground," Toph admitted.

"I married him." Katara paused. "So I guess that means I win in the 'not killing Zuko' competition."

"Congratulations," Sokka commended sarcastically and Toph and Katara smiled weakly.

"I know we have your blessing on tonight," Katara said to the pillar in front of her that they used as a makeshift gravestone for Aang. "We're protecting the innocent again."

"I think 'innocent' might be a bit too strong a word, but yeah," Sokka agreed. "We fight in your memory Aang. We'll _win _in your memory."

"Righting wrongs, defending nations, making peace again," Toph listed with eternal sadness. "It's what we do."

"Team Avatar," Katara nodded, cool tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Team Avatar," Sokka and Toph repeated solemnly.

Time became meaningless as they stood united in their grief. Silence engulfed the room until the throne room door creaked open. Their heads turned to see Zuko standing somewhat awkwardly in the doorway.

"They're preparing the ship now," he announced, his voice echoing in the vast hall. "We should probably get on Appa and fly down now." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder uncomfortably. "I'll, uh, be outside."

Sokka, Toph and Katara turned back to the pillar. After another few moments of silence, Sokka turned to his little sister.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked.

Katara sighed heavily. "When Aang died, it was like nothing I'd ever felt before and nothing I ever want to feel again. I couldn't protect Aang but I can still protect my family, my future." She clenched her eyes tightly shut for a few seconds. "I won't let anyone destroy my life again. I'll fight to the last man standing if it means keeping everyone safe."

Sokka squeezed her hand affectionately, letting her know without words how proud he was of her.

"Then I guess it's time to go," Toph said, gently taking her hand from Katara's.

_Wish us luck Aang, _Katara thought as she walked away, ready to face whatever was about to come.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I definitely wasn't buying Disney songs on iTunes when I meant to be writing (-shifty eyes-) or learning to play songs on my newly acquired keyboard (-more shifty eyes-). Also, apologies for the length of the chapter. I found it very difficult to write because I wanted to get the lead up to the battle just right and found that I couldn't do that and the actual battle all in one chapter.**

**Thanks to everyone who wished me a good time in Spain. I had a great time. I actually got a tan, so am no longer the palest person ever (:P). Usually I'm the epitome of the Fire Nation - black hair, pale skin, the ability to shoot fire from my fingertips. Well, okay, so the last one was a lie, but still.**

**I start 6th Form (which is basically 11th and 12th Grade in America) on Tuesday so updates should be getting more regular as I get back into the pattern. I recently found out that I passed all my exams that I took in Spring (even maths!) so that's got me very happy.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, you guys are awesomesauce.**

**Hope everyone who's going back to school/college/work has a good a time as they can considering it's school/college/work, lol.**

**- Momo**


	29. The Last Crusade

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Magna culpa nostra, poena danda nobis usque ad finem erit dierum, ad finem temporum._ Our guilt is great, we will have to be punished until the end of days, until the end of time_. No more innocence left to spill. You can't get away with your crimes, and you never will. No more innocence left to kill. Don't be afraid, participate and just give us all your trust, your soul will be saved. Just honor me, I'll set you free, so get ready to join the very last crusade. Get ready to chase the final victory. Ad finem temporum._ Until the end of time.

- The Last Crusade _by _Epica

* * *

It took an unnervingly short amount of time to reach the boat from the palace. Nobody spoke much as they gathered on the shadowy dock. Any jokes made sounded distasteful and disrespectful and any questions asked only reminded everyone of what was about to come. Katara felt as though the stars and even the moon were shining down on her with disapproval, as though they had something to feel guilty about the way they were slipping away into the night.

"I'm beginning to think I should've left my cloak," Toph mused aloud. Her trivial problem brought a sense of normalcy back to the group.

"You say that now, but at sea it can get quite cold," Zuko told her. Then, in an added undertone, "That said, I can always light you on fire."

"Just try it, Scarface," Toph threatened.

"Shut up, or I'll drown you both," Katara told them darkly.

They were quiet after that, until Sokka grumbled, "What's taking so long?"

"The soldiers need to check out the ship to make sure it's safe for us to travel in," Iroh answered. "They'll only be a few moments."

Ten minutes later the ship was deemed worthy enough to travel in.

"So do we get our own rooms?" Toph asked as Katara helped her up the ship's ramp.

"This isn't a cruise," Katara said with a small laugh. "But there's probably a place to put your cloak and things."

"I'm guessing that there's nowhere that we can kick back for awhile then either, huh?" Sokka asked, already deeply unimpressed.

"Oh no, we make sure to have at least three game rooms on every _warship _we have," Zuko answered sarcastically. "Seriously, does anyone actually remember the reason we're here?"

"I remember the person who caused it," Toph said, causing Zuko to close his mouth abruptly.

"How long are we sailing for and in what direction?" Hakoda asked, addressing Zuko directly which surprised them all.

"Until we get there and in a general…" Zuko trailed off before gesturing vaguely before him, "that direction."

There was a silence.

"You don't know where we're going," Toph said, deadpan.

"Well, that's us doomed," Sokka muttered. "Why don't we just bring a couple of explosives on board with us? It'll be a quicker and less humiliating way to die."

"Sokka," Katara said disapprovingly.

"No, he's probably right," Zuko told her. When she glared at him, he smiled. "Relax, I'm kidding."

"Relax?" Katara repeated incredulously. "We're sailing to Gods know where for Gods know how long in Gods know direction!"

"I know where we're going and so does the Captain, I just thought I'd leave the sense of mystery there for awhile," Zuko shrugged with a grin. "You know, lighten the mood a little."

"If the Crusaders don't kill him, remind me to," Sokka muttered to Toph after a few moments of disbelieving silence.

"Maybe you should go and talk to the Captain for awhile," Katara advised her husband quietly.

"Maybe I should," Zuko agreed with a nod. He departed swiftly.

"Idiot," Sokka growled.

"He's just nervous," Katara said, trying to keep the peace. "He gets a little crazy when he's anxious."

"Only when he's anxious?" Hakoda asked with raised eyebrows.

"We're not here to attack Zuko," Gran Gran cut in with a frown before Katara could reply. "Let's try and be civilized."

"There's bound to be a room where we can sit down if you would like," Iroh offered to the group. "We'll set sail in about five minutes anyway."

"That's probably for the best," Katara nodded, gesturing for her family and Toph to follow Iroh as he led them through the ship in search of a free room.

* * *

"Well this is boring," Toph complained loudly, lying flat on her back on a couch with her feet dangling over the arm of the furniture.

"You'd be even more bored, not to mention uncomfortable, if _someone_ hadn't thought to include a room where we could sit down," Katara shrugged lightly.

"That same someone should've thought to include some food," Sokka grumbled.

"Are these people never happy?" Zuko murmured to Katara, having joined them soon after they arrived in the room.

"'These people' are my family." Katara frowned and then shrugged. "But no, they're not."

"You know we can hear you?" Hakoda asked with a scowl.

"Your tone is proving Scarface right," Toph pointed out, swinging her legs with a dull thud against the couch.

"Why don't we play a nice game of Pai Sho?" Iroh suggested eagerly, both happy to play his favorite game and to ease the growing tension.

"Does that involve something that I can't see?" Toph asked, tilting her head in Iroh's direction.

"Well, yes, but we could always-"

"Not interested," Toph cut across, turning her head back and yawning. "But thanks."

"I'm going for a walk," Katara announced as the others debated whether to play the tile game. "Zuko, join me?"

"Sure," Zuko said, certain that Katara wanted to get away from her family right now as much as he did.

"We'll go out on the deck, get some privacy," Katara murmured.

Zuko reached out for her hand but she seemed reluctant to take it. Uneasy now, he followed her through the cold metal ship until the moon shone down on them again, bouncing off the calm waves below them. Something else glinted far off in the distance.

"Is that-?" Katara began in horror, squinting ahead.

Zuko swore colorfully and loudly in confirmation. "The bastards are early," he muttered darkly, turning swiftly and starting back for the bowels of the ship.

"Wait!" Katara called after him. "We still have a few minutes. I need to talk to you. It's important."

"More important than this?" Zuko asked skeptically. Then he turned back around and saw the answer written over Katara's face. "Oh. I guess you'd better tell me then."

"I've not been feeling very well lately, I've been sick a couple of times. It could just be the nerves of the battle but I'm late as well and now I'm worried that I'm…" her lips formed the letter P but she couldn't bring herself to say it and instead trailed off.

Zuko had gone cold. "Pregnant?" he finished through seemingly frozen lips.

"I might be," Katara whispered in reply. "I didn't want to tell you but you deserve to know."

This was all coming out wrong. Pregnancy - even when only suspected - was joyous. She and Zuko should be tearfully embracing. She felt like crying, but not from happiness.

"How?" Zuko managed after several seconds of stunned silence. At Katara's look, he backtracked hastily. "I mean, I know _how_. I just…how? We were careful." Katara looked down, avoiding his eyes and his own widened. "We weren't careful?"

"I forgot to take the herbs that prevent pregnancy before our first time," she admitted guiltily. "I took them the morning after but it must not have had the same effect."

"You didn't take contraception!" Zuko accused loudly.

"Well…you started a war!" Katara retaliated, pointing at the Crusader ships that were coming steadily closer.

"I didn't forget to take the herbs to prevent the war!" Zuko shouted. He and Katara glared at each other for a moment before he sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, I'm not taking this very well."

Katara made a sound at the back of her throat, a clear 'I'll say'.

Zuko moved towards her cautiously before wrapping her in his arms. "If you don't want this baby…"

"I'm not ready," Katara admitted. "But there's no way that I'd get rid of our baby. If I am pregnant, then we'll manage."

All was silent for a moment, until Zuko chuckled.

"What?" Katara asked, confused at what could be funny at this moment.

"Your father is going to _kill _me," he answered, kissing the top of her head lightly. "If the Crusaders don't get there first. I need to go and warn them."

"Don't say anything about-" Katara gestured at her stomach "-until we're sure, okay?"

"Promise," Zuko nodded. "Come in with me, I don't want you out here alone."

The alarm was raised very quickly and within a minute, all fighters were on deck, staring silently towards the ships that were crawling closer menacingly. It was difficult to see how many there were at this point.

"Stay on the ship," Zuko instructed them all from his position at the top of the deck. "Don't fight alone, always make sure you're in the view of someone else so if you get into trouble, they can help. Do I need to assign pairs or will you be able to do that without arguing?"

The last sarcastic sentence was largely ignored by Toph and Sokka, who it was mainly aimed at. A few of the soldiers shuffled their feet uncomfortably also and Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Don't kill if you can help it," he continued in a quieter voice. "But if you have to…show no mercy. Remember that they're here to kill us and our futures."

Katara had fixed her eyes to the distance but flickered her gaze briefly to Zuko. He met her eyes with an understanding that wasn't noticed by anyone else in the darkness.

"Bet you twenty gold pieces we make this out alive," Sokka murmured to Toph.

"Bet you _thirty_ gold pieces that we make this out alive but that the ship gets trashed," Toph corrected, pumping his outstretched hand to close the deal.

"You're making money off this?" Zuko asked them in disbelief.

Sokka shrugged. "Have to make a living somehow."

Katara shook her head in disapproval but a smile tugged at her lips. She knew that treated the situation lightly was the way her brother dealt with serious things. In a moment he would put on his game face and be prepared for battle.

The closer the enemy ships got, the more the group began to panic. Five ships made an arrowhead formation in the direction of their suddenly miniscule warship and the group stared ahead of them with wide eyes.

"Well?" Toph demanded. "How many are there?"

"Five," Katara answered after a moment, her voice cracked.

Toph was, for once, lost for words. There could potentially be hundreds of people to fight if each ship had crammed in fighters.

"There won't be more than a hundred," Iroh assured them all, as if reading their thoughts. "Half of us can focus on the battle, the rest can ensure that no ships get past us into the Fire Nation."

A round of nodding answered him. No one else moved until the Crusaders' ships got close enough to swim to. The ships suddenly stopped moving, keeping their formation. A middle-aged man dressed in rich green clothes appeared suddenly on the deck of the head ship. He nodded politely to Zuko and Katara.

"Majesties," he called, his voice perfectly polite but with an undoubtedly cruel mocking edge. "How are you this evening?"

Katara stepped up to Zuko's side, giving him her silent support. She glared evenly at the man who was speaking to them, for once deciding to be a 'proper' wife and allowing her husband to speak.

"Content with the knowledge that soon you shall be defeated and my country will remain safe," Zuko answered coldly.

"You want to get down to business, I see," the man said sadly.

_Well, we originally considered stopping for tea and biscuits, _Katara thought sarcastically. _Idiot._

"You are not welcome here," Zuko told the man. "Leave now and we won't be forced to attack you."

"You'd only attack when our backs were turned," the man smiled with easy familiarity, as if he and Zuko were old friends.

Zuko smiled darkly, allowing that.

"My name is Evergreen, head of the village from which the Crusaders descend," the man, Evergreen, called. "We were not expecting you here tonight, Your Highness."

"You weren't supposed to," Zuko smirked. "It would've ruined the element of surprise."

"Yes," Evergreen sighed, his short mahogany hair bristling in the slight breeze. "Although I'm afraid it won't change much. The Fire Nation is much deserving of some retribution and we're here to deliver it."

"Personally as well," Zuko said. "Now nice of you."

He was outright ridiculing them, instigating the attack that they all knew was coming but never wanted to arrive.

"It's a pity that heroes have fallen so far as to fight for the nation that wanted us all obliterated," Evergreen said, changing tack and talking now to Katara, her family and Toph.

"And yet we're here only to stop you from killing," Katara said coldly. "You and your men are the only murderers here."

"So Haru died of natural causes, did he?" Evergreen asked lightly.

Katara glanced at Zuko, waiting for the command to attack. He nodded once.

"I won't allow you to bring back the past to justify destroying the future," Zuko told Evergreen. "Goodbye."

"Men!" Evergreen roared, taking on quite a different tone as he whipped around to the Crusaders. "Fire at will!"

"Funny, that's what I was going to say," Zuko muttered, so quietly that only Katara could hear him.

Despite the situation, she couldn't help but laugh. Her laugh quickly turned to a frown of concentration as she created a giant frozen wave to protect their ship from a sudden shower of arrows that flew through the night sky. The arrows slammed into the frozen wall, splintering and dropping into the ocean like flies. Katara exhaled quickly and pushed her hands forward. The wall quivered and collapsed in a rush of water that soaked the quintet of ships. A handful of men lost their balance in the water and were dragged overboard, but others stood their ground. It would take a much larger, more powerful wave to wipe out these ships.

Smoke began to billow from the Crusaders' ships, signaling that they were prepared to move forward. Sure enough, the waves began to rock forcefully as movement erupted on the sea. Katara steadied her own ship as much as she could whilst trying to rock the others.

Battle cries broke the night as Crusaders left and right leapt from their ships onto the Fire Nation one.

"I think not!" Sokka shouted victoriously as he managed to smack someone in mid-air and knocking them overboard.

"Nice!" Hakoda crowed, running over to join his son. "Come on, let's show them what Water Tribe men are made of!"

"I think I'll stick with you," Toph called to Gran Gran. "I don't want to get into a competition with the boys."

"Right," Gran Gran shouted back. She elbowed one man in the groin and smashed her knee into his face as he doubled over in pain. She shoved him overboard disdainfully and glanced over at Toph. "Bet I can take out more than you can."

"You're on!" Toph grinned. "I'm going to be rich by the end of this!"

She closed her sightless eyes in concentration and turned to the nearest enemy ship. She raised her hands and they began to tremble with effort. She then brought them gently together before ripping them apart violently. With a deafening screech, the top of the ship - the lookout post - was torn away. Toph broke it into smaller pieces and summoned it to her. She molded it to her will, smacking the invaders all around her as she forced it out and brought it sharply back to her again. The satisfying splashes were all she needed to know that her plan was working.

"And all this time I've been worrying about your father!" Zuko shouted to Katara as they battled side by side. "Where did your grandmother learn to fight like that?"

"I guess it's never too late to learn," Katara replied with a shrug. "I could actually take a couple of pointers from her."

"Not in your condition, you can't," Zuko told her sternly. "I don't even want you fighting right now, it can't be good for the baby!"

The Crusaders around them were momentarily distracted by this and Zuko and Katara took advantage by hitting them with fire and water attacks that sent them reeling overboard. It was already the second time that they had distracted the enemy with news of their baby.

"Stop using our baby to kill people!" Katara scowled in the seconds before anyone realized they were alone. "It's not very nice!"

"I'm sure he or she understands! And the Crusaders be fine if they can swim," Zuko shrugged. "That's the problem."

As another large swarm of attackers surrounded them, Katara worried that she, Zuko and their potential baby actually might die if the attacks carried on as consistent as this.

"Don't attack me, I'm pregnant!" Katara cried in her most pathetic voice.

It had the desired effect and, again, she and Zuko used the distraction to their advantage. But now the Crusaders were getting more wiser. They had obviously sent the less experienced recruits into battle first and now came an older and more knowledgeable set.

No news of a baby, fictional or otherwise, would distract these Crusaders. They had been sent on a mission and were determined to complete it. As the group swiftly separated Katara from Zuko, she found herself panicking again. Kicking out at those who got too close, she quickly summoned water from the ocean, brought it to her chest and then pushed it back out. The men around her stumbled, some even fell, but the majority remained standing. Heart racing and breath quickening, she slammed the water into their chests again and again until both sides were exhausted.

"I don't suppose we could be friends?" Katara asked, encasing two men in ice simultaneously so she could focus on the others. "I'll unfreeze you if you say 'yes'." She paused as long as she could afford to. "Okay then, have it your way."

She threw the ice 'sculptures' overboard with a few well placed movements. Those around her were beginning to hesitate, realizing that their numbers were actually in danger of depleting completely if this continued. They glanced at each other before reassurance set in their eyes quickly and they turned back to Katara victoriously. Her heart dropping, she snapped her eyes around her. Toph appeared to be unconscious a little way away with Gran Gran working extra hard to defend the both of them. Sokka and Hakoda were battling valiantly but they were slowly overcome with the endless supply of soldiers. Iroh had joined Zuko and they were attacking their share of the Crusaders. Katara couldn't identify the others on their side in the masses of moss green clothes.

She took all this in wordlessly as the breeze gently lifted stray strands of her hair. They were going to die. This was something that they couldn't overcome.

_Unless…_

Katara had vowed never to Bloodbend again. She still remembered the agony of not being able to control her body and didn't wish that on anyone else. But this was different. She wasn't only responsible for her life now, but potentially for another human being. Even if she wasn't pregnant, she couldn't take the risk.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to quell the savage pleasure that rose up inside her at the thought of taking down those who would gladly wipe out her family. The full moon shone down on her, bathing her in its glowing approval. She opened her eyes and flexed her fingers, feeling the life force of those around her slacken at her command, waiting for her instruction. She lowered her hands tentatively, worried that she may have lost the technique after not using it for so many years. But the Crusader's bodies jerked awkwardly to the floor. Their eyes looked around wildly as they tried to comprehend what was going on. Before they could draw breath to scream, Katara shut their mouths. Bodies lay around her, powerless. She could torture them, kill them. But she wouldn't. She was no monster.

"I won't let you hurt my family," she told them all evenly, meeting their eyes and controlling their frozen bodies. "I should kill you right now for the deaths that you could've caused. But I'll let the ocean decide your fates."

She lifted her trembling hands up to the sky, watching detachedly as the men rose with her fingers. She drew her hands apart sharply, stopping only when the men, dragged by their chests, stood on the very edge of the ship.

"If you ever decide to try invading the Fire Nation again, I'll go through with what my better judgment is telling me to do," she warned them coldly, sending them flying over the edge by their own bodies.

With the splashes that echoed in the night, Katara realized that the fighting had stopped dead. Almost all eyes were on her, most of them fearful. Her eyes dropped as shame began to well in her chest.

"Take the Waterbender out!" came a sudden roar, shattering the silence.

"Leave her to me!" Evergreen shouted. "Take care of the others!"

Men tumbled together as the fighting started up again. Katara searched frantically for Evergreen but didn't find him until his cold voice spoke softly behind her.

"Evening Majesty."

She whipped around, startled, and readied herself for attack. But Evergreen caught her fingers quickly to stop her from Bloodbending. He began to crush her delicate fingers with his larger, stronger ones. She winced and was about to aim a swift kick to Evergreen's shin when a burst of fire knocked him to the ground.

"No one's allowed to do that but me," Zuko informed Evergreen, appearing by Katara's side instantly.

Although grateful for his intervention, Katara scowled at her husband.

"No one's allowed to do that," Zuko corrected himself quickly.

Katara nodding approvingly and positioned herself to fight as Evergreen stood.

"You really should've chosen a better war name than Evergreen," she informed her enemy. "It's stupid and intimidates no one."

"It symbolizes that the Crusaders will never allow winter's kiss to strip them of their dignity," Evergreen informed them with a snarl.

"Like winter would kiss you," Katara retorted immaturely. She sensed Zuko's scathing side glance at her and resolved to think of better comebacks.

"Shut your wife up," Evergreen spat, all pretences of formality lost. "Or I will do it for you."

"More power to you if you can," Zuko shrugged.

Katara frowned at him. "What have I done? Why are you ripping into me?"

Despite her questions, she knew full well what Zuko was doing. Allowing the enemy to think that you don't take the fight seriously will lull them into a false sense of security. Either that or the enemy will become so angry that they lose focus and attack blindly. Whichever one, Zuko knew what he was doing. Katara hoped. So she played along with his game as Evergreen became increasingly more angry at their dismissal of him. After a moment, he lifted his weapon of choice, a plain knife.

"I wished to kill you in a real battle but I see that you're content to play children's games," he hissed. "No matter, I shall just lie and say that you died on your knees, begging for your life."

"That's how I'm telling everyone you died," Zuko snarled. "Only in my case, it will actually be the truth."

He punched downwards and flames wrapped around his fists, illuminating the darkness. He stepped to the side, away from Katara and he and Evergreen began to rotate, clearly in a confrontation of their own.

"What am I, thin air?" Katara asked angrily.

"Please just stay out of this one," Zuko requested, his voice intense, his eyes locked on Evergreen's. "It's something that I have to do by myself."

Katara was about to object but instead nodded. "Fine. I'll be over there somewhere. Be careful."

"You too," Zuko nodded. He hesitated for a moment before glancing at her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Katara answered, smiling sadly. She would kiss him if she were able. Instead, holding back all the things she wanted to say to him, she retreated and began helping her friends.

"Finished your couple bonding?" Evergreen asked acidly. "Good. I was about to vomit."

"It's the closest you'll ever get to love," Zuko scowled. "How pathetic."

He threw a fiery punch at Evergreen who nimbly dodged it and plunged his blade towards Zuko's neck. Zuko evaded, and so the beautiful, deadly dance began.

Meanwhile Katara was helping the newly re-awakened Toph and Gran Gran in their fight, Bloodbending and Waterbending without care. They definitely weren't winning but they were no longer overwhelmed by the enemy either. There was a certain routine to the way they fought: Katara, Toph and Gran Gran formed a semi-circle against one of the sides of the ship and sent Crusaders hurtling into the dark sea from all directions. They were working with only the light from the stars and moon above, yet it seemed to be enough. Sokka, Hakoda and Zuko had formed their own alliance that matched the females and also tried to prevent the Crusaders' ships from passing.

"Think that I should go over to the guys and use Metalbending to stop the other boats?" Toph wondered aloud, expertly twisting the metal to smack someone in their face, sending them toppling overboard in agony.

"Yeah, but then we'll be one short," Katara pointed out, stopping two men in their tracks without even looking and flinging them into the ocean below.

"Send Iroh over," Gran Gran suggested, retrieving the Water Tribe club that her son had given her earlier in battle and bashing an unsuspecting Crusader over the head with it.

"I'm not even going to go into how gross it is if you have a crush on Iroh," Katara scowled, summoning a wave from the sea and crashing it into the enemy whilst creating a shield around her group.

"I don't!" Gran Gran protested, glaring at her granddaughter whilst a cascade of water flew over their heads. "I just think he's very distinguished."

"Is that old-people talk for hot?" Toph inquired. "Because if so, I back up the gross factor."

"Just swap with him," Gran Gran instructed, narrowing her eyes. "Do it now while they're all distracted."

With nothing but a quick grin, Toph nodded and ran over to the opposite side of the ship where she picked out the familiar heartbeats of her companions. She arrived uninterrupted after coating herself in metal and sending people running as she ploughed into them to make up her path.

"Iroh, you're needed over with Katara and Kanna!" she shouted, releasing herself from her metal armor and instead slamming it into nearby Crusaders. When Iroh hesitated, she frowned. "Now!"

The heartbeats of her friends increased rapidly and Toph began to worry.

"Oh no…" Sokka muttered, his voice catching.

"What?" Toph demanded. "What is it?"

"Get over there. Now," Hakoda ordered suddenly to the group, his voice hard but with a noticeable edge of panic.

Sokka grabbed Toph's hand and began to yank her over to Katara and Gran Gran.

"They've swarmed over them," he shouted in way of explanation. "They saw you take off and took advantage of it."

Toph hated the way that Sokka said this, as though he blamed her. But she kept quiet and continued running until they skidded to a stop in the water that sloshed over from Katara's previous attacks.

"Katara," Sokka whimpered quietly.

A sudden order from Evergreen ceased all the attacks. The Crusaders all stopped but no one dared to attack them for fear that one of them would slide the dagger that was currently held at Katara's throat. Only the faint roar of the ocean could be heard as everyone held their breath.

"I think we should play a game," Evergreen announced to the silent ship.

"Let her go," Zuko growled, stepping forward menacingly.

"Ah ah, Mr. Hothead," Evergreen scolded. "I can order Bonsai over there to slit your pretty wife's throat before you can even think of attacking me."

Zuko knew that Katara must be feeling deep shame at being at the mercy of someone named Bonsai. Still, he knew that one wrong move would cost Katara her life and he bitterly regretted ever allowing her to fight with him.

"What do you want?" Zuko asked tensely, his voice echoing into the night.

"Pick one," Evergreen challenged.

Zuko blinked. "What?"

"Pick between me and Katara," Evergreen repeated slowly.

Zuko frowned, certain that Evergreen had lost it, either due to the battle or the lifelong stress of having a name like his.

"I pick-" Zuko started, before Evergreen interrupted.

"Wait, I forgot to tell you the rules of the game!" he said with a small laugh, as if they were in a polite circle and he had just forgotten something trivial.

"I'm listening," Zuko told him, feeling a tiny bit relieved now that the catch was about to be explained. If something sounded too good to be true, it probably was.

"I had a little chat with the Earth King before we sailed out," Evergreen informed them all. "Pleasant conversation we had. He had these little biscuits brought out that were delicious. Sort of soft and yet crunchy at the same time."

Evergreen was toying with Zuko. The Fire Lord was furious at himself for taunting Evergreen earlier.

"Anyway, I digress. I explained the situation to him as no one had before. He agreed with me that the Fire Nation were becoming too powerful again and that a pre-emptive strike would be for the best lest another full-scale war start." Evergreen began pacing up and down on the metal ship, his boots thudding on the metal surface. All eyes followed his progress. "He was ready to launch an attack on the Fire Nation there and then, but I asked him as politely as I could to hold on for a few days until we had invaded. We'd report back, I told him, with the situation on the land. If it looked like we were at risk again, I would send him a message and in return he'd send all the fleets under his command."

A new chill began to spread through Zuko, even though he didn't fully understand yet.

"We're going to win tonight, there's no doubt about that," Evergreen informed Zuko as though they were discussing the weather. "The question is, will I tell the Earth King that the Fire Nation is friendly or will I tell him that you're hostile?" Evergreen noted Zuko's stricken expression and smiled coldly. "Finally grasped the situation, have we? Good."

"I pick Katara and you tell the Earth King to send the fleets. I pick you and you won't tell the Earth King to attack?" Zuko asked, making sure he understood correctly.

"It's more than that," Evergreen answered, shaking his head. "This isn't about war. You killed one of our bravest members and we will not forgive so easily."

"So you want revenge," Zuko nodded. He already knew this.

"We want justice!" Evergreen screamed in correction, shattering the calm night. The Crusaders all cheered their agreement. Evergreen waited until the noise had died down before continuing more quietly. "A life for a life. You took what was precious to us, we will take what is precious to you. Either way, you lose something you hold very dear."

"And what makes you think that we can't withstand another invasion?" Zuko asked, a lot more calmly than he felt. "We are the most powerful nation in the world."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" Evergreen asked pleasantly.

"I'll pick Katara and just kill you afterwards," Zuko pointed out, desperate to find a loophole.

"You can kill me now and it wouldn't make any difference," Evergreen shrugged. "You can kill every man here tonight and it wouldn't make any difference. I've given instructions to my men back in the Earth Kingdom that if I don't return, they are to tell the Earth King to attack."

"How do I know that you're not bluffing?"

"It was easy to persuade the king to my way of thinking." Evergreen's eyes wandered over to Katara and her family. "You've met Kuei. You know how impressionable he is."

The swift nod from Sokka and Toph told Zuko all he needed to know.

"If I pick you, what's stopping you from attacking anyway at a later date?" Zuko asked shrewdly, trying to understand all aspects.

"I've told you," Evergreen sighed. "I am not interested in war. I only want justice for Haru's death. That will either come in the form of the downfall of the Fire Nation or in the death of your beloved."

Zuko's eyes found Katara's. He had had this choice many times over: Katara or the Fire Nation.

In the North Pole, he chose the Fire Nation.

In Ba Sing Se, he chose the Fire Nation.

On the Day of Black Sun, he chose the Fire Nation.

Today he would choose once more.

"It's not even a question," Zuko said, tearing his eyes away from Katara and turning to Evergreen. "My family have fought to preserve the Fire Nation, its growth and prosperity. We have cheated and betrayed others to ensure our security. What is one more death?" Zuko took a deep breath. "I choose Katara to live. It'll always be her. The Fire Nation does not bow down to threats, especially those made to someone I care about. Tonight your death will stop the threat against the Fire Nation."

The victorious glimmer in Evergreen's eyes had vanished abruptly. "Fool," he hissed. "I've already told you, there are others who will give the order for attack."

"When I'm finished with you, they'll never have the desire to come anywhere near the Fire Nation again," Zuko promised.

As Zuko spoke, Toph had been silently bending the silver blade to her will, so slowly that no one noticed. It was painstakingly slow but she was getting there. As soon as Zuko had voiced his choice for Katara to live, she moved more quickly, anticipating another fight. Bonsai grunted as the blade moved away from his victim's neck and Sokka quickly silenced him with a swift blow to the head.

"Kill them!" Evergreen snarled. "They've had their chance."

Chaos descended once more, but this time the protagonists were ready. They, with the Fire Nation soldiers at their side, formed a defensive line. Half of the group faced one way, the other half turned to attack the rest. At Evergreen's command, a myriad of attacks shot at the Crusaders.

Men suddenly found themselves unable to move, on fire, attacked by metal or clubs. Occasionally they would be blasted with water.

Not on of the Fire Nation's group paused to exchange witty banter this time, all focused on their tasks. Slowly but surely, the Crusaders were driven back. Those left behind on the enemy ships refused to enter the fray, instead choosing to help as many of their fallen comrades back onto the ship. Shouts, screams and curses filled the night sky. Realizing how badly they were getting beaten, some Crusaders flung themselves off the ship in the hopes of landing on their own ships. Sometimes it worked, but mainly they just crashed into the sea.

Zuko and Evergreen had resumed their dance of death, shooting fire and daggers at each other without pausing for breath.

"Katara, help Zuko," Iroh instructed, glancing quickly at her.

Katara nodded, having been debating this herself. She broke ranks and ran quickly to Zuko's side.

"Need help?" she quipped as the blade narrowly missed Zuko's neck.

"No, I'm great," Zuko snapped back sarcastically, under great pressure. Then, to amend for his sharp tone, "But I'm glad you're here."

"As am I," Evergreen snarled, breathing heavily and rubbing at the fresh burn at the side of his face that Zuko inflicted. "Now I can kill you myself."

"Again with the killing!" Katara sighed. "I think you should just…stop."

She accompanied the last word with a swift arm movement, seizing control of Evergreen's body and freezing it to the spot.

She turned to Zuko with a grin. "See what I did there?"

"Very clever," Zuko praised absently. "What do we do about him?"

"I don't know," Katara admitted. "If we let him go he'll only tell the Earth Kingdom to attack."

Evergreen's eyes were steely and defiant. Despite all that he had done tonight, Katara couldn't look at him as she realized the only solution was to kill him.

"Zuko…" she started, her arms beginning to tremble with sadness and fear.

"I know," he nodded. He reached forward and plucked the knife out of Evergreen's frozen fingers. He hesitated for a moment before putting it back. "Drop your arms."

"What are you doing?" Katara frowned, keeping her arms where they were.

"He needs to die but there's no reason that it can't be honorable. I won't kill him whilst he's incapacitated and defenseless."

Pride, love and fury mingled as Katara stared at Zuko. After a moment she nodded and dropped her arms slowly.

"Turn away," Zuko advised. "I don't want you seeing this."

As her power over Evergreen's body faded, Katara swallowed heavily and turned around, summoning water and wiping out as many Crusaders as she could, as much to keep her family safe as to block out the fight behind her.

It didn't take long. Evergreen was already disorientated and a single blow to the head sent him crumpling to the metal deck in a heap. Katara heard the sickening thud as his body hit the floor and shuddered. She took a deep, composing breath and turned around. Zuko was staring at Evergreen in disgust, both at himself and at the dead man before him.

"It had to be done," Katara comforted, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know," Zuko nodded. He turned away and closed his eyes tightly. "I just wish that it didn't."

Katara didn't know what to say for a minute, so settled for looking out to the ocean, continuing despite human disturbances.

"I guess I should say something," Zuko said, his voice quiet. "I need to let the Crusaders know that they can't attack us."

"I'll be right here," Katara assured him.

Zuko sighed deeply and turned around. "Crusaders!" he roared in quite a different voice. "Your leader is dead! Who is next in command?"

The hesitation in the air was palpable.

"Whoever is the new leader, I issue you this warning!" Zuko continued, saving anyone from stepping forward. He and Katara stood impressively, glaring at their enemies. "If you send word to attack the Fire Nation, we will fight back! We've decimated your numbers with only a mere handful of warriors! Cross us again and you'll be against the full force of the Fire Nation!"

The Crusaders were silent as they stared at the one who had killed their leader so easily. The Fire Lady glared down at them all with fierce determination, showing that she could be as vicious as her husband.

"The Fire Nation and Water Tribe have made a pact," she spoke to them all. "We are stronger than ever before. Join us and we will all live in peace. Cross us and we will destroy you."

None of the Crusaders needed even a moment to think about it. They began to silently retreat backwards until they were at the opposite ends of the ship to Zuko and Katara, who were swiftly joined by their allies. As the Crusaders surrendered and clambered aboard their own ships once close enough, Katara's words still hung in the air.

_Cross us and we will destroy you…_**A/N:**

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**Howdy doodle everyone. Sorry about the lateness of this chapter, turns out that 6****th**** Form involves a lot more work than I originally thought XD**

**Hope you all enjoyed and thank you **_**so**_** much to my reviewers, who make me very happy. I'm going to play not one but two games with you all now. Numero uno (which I'm pretty sure means 'number one' in Spanish but with my language skills is probably insulting someone's mother) is a song for the last chapter. We've still a couple of chapters left yet, but I'm beginning to think about the final song. I have a good one in mind but keep changing it. So I might leave it up to you. Just a general love song will do. It doesn't even have to be a love song, it can just be a song with nice lyrics. See? See how indecisive I am?**

**Numero…uh…two, is to do with those fantabulous people who review. I don't want to be typing the same thing in your review replies because it might sound like I don't appreciate your comments and I really do. So I'm giving you all the opportunity to ask me a question about anything. Can't be about the end of Sanctuary or anything too personal about myself but other than that it's fine. Feel free to tell me something about yourselves too, but obviously don't feel obliged to.**

**I amused myself finding daft names for the Crusaders. I figured that they should have silly names because they're silly, silly people. With silly-like tendancies.**

**Anyhoo, I have Psychology homework to do and Epica to listen to, so I'll bid you all a good night!**

**- Momo**


	30. Away From Me

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Lost all faith in the things I have achieved and I, I've woken now to find myself in the shadows of all I have created. I'm longing to be lost in you, away from this place I have made, won't you take me away from me? I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed. I loathe all I've become._

_- _Away From Me _by _Evanescence

* * *

Katara waited until the last Crusader ship was out of sight before throwing her arms around Zuko and hugging him tightly. He embraced her back just as fiercely, resting his forehead on her hair. They stayed like that, shaking in each others arms, for what seemed like eternity. Then Sokka's voice broke through the silence.

"So…what do we do now?" he asked uncertainly, his voice ringing above the crashing of the waves.

"I don't know," Zuko admitted, still holding Katara close to him. He knew that his body was quivering and felt like his knees would collapse at any moment. "Go back to the Fire Nation I guess. Wait and see if the Earth Kingdom plan on attacking."

If anyone thought that this wasn't a good idea, they didn't voice it. Instead, they all shuffled off to the little room that they'd sat in before the battle and sat in silence.

"Sleep if you want," Iroh offered to the room at large. "We're in no hurry to get back."

Everyone edged to the seats before collapsing on them gratefully. But no one slept; how could they, when the threat may still be out there? Instead an uneasy silence settled in which no one looked at each other or spoke.

Soon enough, the tides slowly carried the ship back to the Fire Nation shores. Everyone silently departed the ship once the captain had informed them it was fine to do so. The extra Fire Nation soldiers that had been brought along were in high spirits; their congratulatory words to one another were tinged with the scent of alcohol and their saunters were a little off-balance.

"What's the betting that one of them falls in the sea?" Sokka murmured to a collective laugh.

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me!" Toph said with a smirk. "You owe me money!"

"I think it's _you_ who owes _me_ money," Sokka corrected. "We're out alive, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but the ship isn't in the same condition as before the battle," Toph pointed out. "Therefore, I win the bet."

"I wouldn't say it's trashed though," Sokka frowned. "And that's the word you used. Trashed. So I'm thirty gold pieces richer."

"Like hell you are!" Toph growled. "Katara, tell him!"

"I'm not getting involved," Katara grinned, feeling more light-hearted with each step she took back to the docks.

"Until next time then," Sokka promised. "But honestly, I'll get that money."

"Not from me, you won't," Toph shrugged.

"Dad!" Sokka whined suddenly, turning to his chuckling father.

Katara glanced around as her family tried to settle the deal between Sokka and Toph to see that Zuko hung back on the ship, staring distantly out over the ocean. She let the others pass before turning around and walking over to her husband.

"Everything okay?" she asked softly, linking her arm through his.

"I'm fine," Zuko answered, sounding as though even he didn't believe this.

"You don't want to talk about it?" Katara guessed. At Zuko's silence, she sighed sadly. "Is it about Evergreen? You didn't have a choice. You had to kill-"

Zuko wrenched his arm from Katara's sharply. "You don't understand," he snarled before stalking away. The echoes of his heavy footsteps soon faded into the darkness.

"Lady Katara?" the captain asked, clearing his throat behind her. "Would you like me to accompany you back to the palace?"

"No, thank you," Katara replied faintly. She turned to the man. "Do you have a family? Wife, children?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the captain replied. "Been married to the wife for twenty years now. Three children. The eldest has just graduated from the top school in the whole country."

Even in the darkness, the captain's pride and love for his family glowed brightly.

"Congratulations," Katara murmured, turning back to the sea. "Go home to your family. You did well today."

"Thank you, Majesty," the captain smiled, before bowing and departing.

_To live an uncomplicated life…_Katara thought, sadly wistful. _Is there such a thing?_

She shook her head in answer to her own question and left the ship, following where she assumed her family had gone. Guards were posted every so often along the path to the palace but even so Katara felt very alone. She had no way of knowing if she were pregnant or not, Zuko wouldn't talk to her about killing someone and there was a chance that the Crusaders would tell the Earth King to attack anyway. Although they had won the battle, she wasn't feeling particularly victorious.

These thoughts occupied her mind until she reached the main hall of the palace. She had two choices: celebrate with her family or try and console Zuko. She pondered for a moment before something struck her. Why should it always have to be a choice? She was making another choice right now: she chose neither. She needed alone time and either way she would just get hassled.

Because the dead were as impartial as she wished to be, Katara decided to give Aang another visit. The throne room would never be a place of comfort to her, no matter how long she lived or how many times she visited it. How could it be? There would always be sinister echoes from the past lurking just out of view. But at least it was quiet and - somewhat - peaceful.

Walking through the silent halls, Katara wondered what would happen next. She didn't want her family to leave yet, but now that the immediate danger was over, what reason did they have to stick to any alliances made? All the worries and doubts that she had formed as liquid in her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks. She sniffed and hastily wiped at her eyes, keeping her head down in case someone saw. The chances of that were slim-to-none, but she wouldn't put it past the universe.

She reached the throne room and pulled open its creaking doors as quietly as she could before slipping inside. Only then did she let the tears fall freely in the empty hall.

* * *

It was past sunrise by the time she left the throne room. She reasoned with herself that Zuko would be in a better mood to talk. Walking down the corridor (feeling immensely better as one always does after crying) she was stopped by the more braver servants who heaped respectful praise upon her for the battle. It appeared that word had already spread about what happened and, as always, some aspects had been exaggerated.

"No, my brother did not lose his leg."

"No, I did not summon a sea monster to wipe out the Crusaders."

"No, cactus juice played no part in the battle."

But some details, sadly, had been retained.

"Yes, the Fire Lord killed the leader of the Crusaders."

The servants she gave the last answer to always widened their eyes before hastily looking away to hide their shock. But Katara understood their reaction: it was the same emotion that was still coursing through her mind.

She soon reached the door to the bedroom that she and Zuko shared but found that she couldn't open the door straight away. Her hand hovered uncertainly over the handle as she wondered what she was about to say. After a deep, steadying breath she opened the door quietly. Zuko sat in the space between the curtained window and the bed, meditating. A semi-circle of lit candles lay in front of him. They were the only source of light in the otherwise darkened room and the cast the walls into flickering shadows. The flames were leaping wildly about, matching in no way to Zuko's forced breathing pattern.

"Zuko?" Katara whispered uncertainly, lingering in the doorway.

The flames soared up to the ceiling for a moment, completely obscuring Zuko from view. Katara jumped fearfully, her heart racing. But after a moment the fire was slowly coaxed back down to the candles, although it still swayed disobediently higher.

"Are you okay?"

It was a stupid question, Katara knew that as soon as she had asked it. But there was no other way she could phrase it. She didn't usually watch Zuko meditate, but the times that she had she would marvel at his seemingly effortless control over the flames in front of him.

"Just fine," Zuko snarled in reply, keeping his eyes determinedly shut.

"I know why you're upset," Katara tried, stepping slowly into the room and over to him. "And I want you to know that you're not the only one who hurt people out there tonight."

"I'm the Fire Lord, Katara," Zuko scowled, opening his eyes and standing up. He towered over her in his rage but she didn't step away. "The _Fire Lord_. I was supposed to be bringing peace to the world and my first official act as Fire Lord was to start a war. I could've let Evergreen go, I could've-"

"No, you couldn't," Katara corrected gently. "He was a man of his word and if you had showed him any mercy…"

"Do you think he had a family?" Zuko asked suddenly, his voice hollow. "Wife, children?"

"I don't know," Katara answered. "I doubt it."

"He was somebody's son though," Zuko murmured, determined to prove himself a monster. "And I took him away from them."

Suddenly irritated, Katara took Zuko's hand and pressed it lightly to her stomach.

"If you hadn't taken away the threat then our baby would've been taken away instead," she told him, her blazing eyes staring straight into his. "He or she needs all the protection we can give so don't you dare be worried about giving us one less thing to fight against."

"What kind of child will this baby grow up to be with me as its father?" Zuko asked, his eyes betraying his pain.

"A lucky one," Katara assured. "Our baby will have everything."

She used her free hand to caress his face lightly. He leant in towards her light touch and closed his eyes.

"I love you so much," he told her quietly. "It seems like I don't say it enough, but I do."

"I love you too," Katara whispered. She paused before stepping backwards. "You're a hero and don't let anything convince you otherwise."

Zuko smiled but remained silent until Katara tried and failed to stifle a yawn. "Have you had any sleep tonight?" he demanded.

"No," Katara admitted, traipsing slowly to the bed and lying down. "Have you?"

"Not much," Zuko shrugged off-handedly. "But you're more important."

"Come. Sleep," Katara ordered, patting the space next to her lazily.

Her eyes were already closed by the time she felt a dip in the bed as Zuko lay beside her. He gently wrapped his arms around her and brought her into his chest, straining to kiss her head.

As her breathing became steady, Zuko stared up at the canopy of the bed anxiously. Katara didn't even know for sure if she was pregnant yet and here they were discussing the baby as if it were due tomorrow. Thoughts whispered to Zuko not to get too attached to something that might not even be real but he found himself wondering the sex of the baby, what they would call it, what it would look like, who it would grow up to be…

Then he silently chastened himself for calling the baby 'it'.

Despite Katara's positive assurances, Zuko knew he wasn't going to be a good father. Oh, he'd _try_ all right, he'd try more than anyone had ever tried before, but a distant memory of him dropping Baby Azula on her head kept coming back to haunt him. After briefly wondering if it was the drop on the head that made his little sister grow up to be a psychopath, Zuko drifted into sleep.

* * *

_ Ten Weeks Later_With no sign of the Crusaders after ten weeks, it was finally decided that it was time to celebrate. To everyone but Zuko and Katara, the celebrations were for winning the - admittedly short-lived - war. For the royal couple, however, it was a celebration of new life. In polite circles it isn't considered acceptable to rejoice over vomiting every morning (and sometimes in the afternoon, Katara found to her horror) but that's just what Zuko and Katara found themselves doing. With no sure way of knowing if she was pregnant, Katara just took her vanished monthly cycle, vomiting habits and stubborn refusals to go near certain foods as an indication. She and Zuko were still undecided as to when they should start telling people.

* * *

"When do you think you'll start showing properly?" Zuko asked quietly as they hurried down to the corridor to join the feast. They were supposed to have been there ten minutes ago but Katara kept insisting that a small bump was visible beneath her dress. Zuko dismissed this as nonsense but she had gotten so worked up over it that he had sent for a looser, more flowing dress for her to wear.

"I'm not sure," Katara admitted, throwing nervous glances down at her stomach. "I'm hoping that I'll suddenly grow a really big bump the day of the birth and my family will figure it out for themselves. They can't be mad at a woman about to give birth."

"But they can be mad at her husband," Zuko muttered. "And they will be."

"You don't know that," Katara smiled, but they both saw through the weak assurance. She sighed. "We'll have to tell them soon because I want to be able to check in with a healer every so often and have to swear her to secrecy on pain of death."

"Yeah, they don't like that," Zuko agreed. At the look Katara shot him, he quickly changed the topic. "But I'm not the one telling your family."

"Maybe not but you'll be there when I tell them," Katara informed him. "You're not getting out of this one."

"If you want our baby growing up without a father then-" he cut off as he saw Katara smiling. "What?"

"'Our baby'," Katara repeated thoughtfully. "It sounds nice."

They both stopped walking as Zuko turned to look at his wife, his own smile creeping onto his lips.

"It does," he agreed with a nod. He squeezed her hand briefly before setting off again.

Aside from Sokka's low grumblings about having had to wait for his food, everyone seemed happy to accept Katara's explanation that she and Zuko had taken a nap and overslept.

"You're here now, that's all that matters," Iroh said cheerfully, taking his place at the head of the table. In addition to their usual group, the soldiers taken to fight the Crusaders were there as well, each having brought their families. Katara recognized the captain and his family and gave them a quick smile.

"Fire Lord Zuko, would you like to say a few words?" Iroh nudged his nephew gently.

_Not really, _was Zuko's initial reaction but soon stood up.

"Welcome," he began, unsure of what else to say. He was suddenly very conscious of making a fool of himself in front of all these people. "You're all here tonight because you were willing to make a sacrifice for the Fire Nation. You went into battle fully aware that you may not have come out alive."

"We could've died?" Toph whispered loudly, mock-scandalized. Katara hissed at her to be quiet.

"Uh," Zuko faltered, his concentration thrown off by the small idiotic Earthbender. "Yeah. Anyway, you all helped to protect this nation and for that I am both proud and grateful. I know that, should the Crusaders even think of returning, you will all be on hand to let them know that the Fire Nation cannot so easily be beaten. It is truly an honor to call you all my comrades and my friends."

"We're his friends?" Sokka asked Toph quietly.

"Sokka," Katara growled in warning.

"Just kidding, you're alright," Sokka told Zuko. "Aside from the 'killing our friends and trying to kill us' thing a few years back."

Katara slapped her hand lightly to her forehead and sighed heavily.

"What?" Sokka asked, affronted. "I was actually being sincere."

"I know," Katara ground out.

"Anyway," Zuko said very pointedly before giving up. "Enjoy the meal, let's eat."

"Finally!" Sokka cried.

Katara had to forcibly restrain herself from strangling her older brother.

The rest of dinner passed pleasantly and uneventfully. Toph had a strange expression on her face during the last few minutes and, once all the toasts were out of the way, quietly asked if she could see Katara alone.

"Sure," Katara said with a slight frown of worry. Since when did Toph quietly ask anything?

They excused themselves from the table and made their way into the corridor.

"What's up?" Katara asked, genuinely concerned now.

"Is there a closet or something that we can go in?" Toph asked, her mouth a grim line.

"Just down here." Katara took her friend's hand and led her to the desired closet. After closing the door, she turned to Toph. "You're scaring me, what's wrong?"

"It's the weirdest thing," Toph started. "There were so many extra people there tonight, it was like a heartbeat convention. It took me quite a long time to tell who was who, and then there were the servants to consider. But once I had everyone figured out…" she trailed off with a shrug, as if even she couldn't believe what she was about to say.

"Yes?" Katara prodded gently.

"There was an extra heartbeat."

Katara didn't know what to say for a moment. Her own heart was racing pretty quickly at that moment as she tried to decipher what Toph was saying.

"It was small but it was there," Toph continued. "I checked over and over again but it seemed to be coming from your direction. There was one extra heartbeat and not enough chairs. So either someone was sharing a chair or…"

"I'm pregnant," Katara finished. As soon as she said it, a weight lifted from her chest. This was happy news and she was glad to be sharing it with her closest friend.

Toph was silent for a moment before squealing in a manner that Katara never would've Toph was even capable of. Before Katara knew it, Toph had wrapped her arms around her in a hug. She quickly let go.

"I'm not hurting the baby, am I?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm sure you're not," Katara answered with a warm smile.

"Then congratulations!" Toph grinned, hugging Katara again.

"Your reaction is definitely better than Zuko's initial one," Katara laughed, hugging her friend back.

Toph broke away suddenly. "He doesn't want you to have the baby?" she asked in horror, her misted eyes widening.

"No, no, he does!" Katara corrected quickly before Toph did something drastic. "I told him about five minutes before the Crusaders were due to attack so it wasn't really the best timing."

"You sure can pick your moments, Sugarqueen," Toph said with a shake of her head. "How come you haven't told anyone?"

"I don't know," Katara answered, uncomfortable at the slightly hurt note in her friend's voice. "I wanted to wait for a sure sign that everything was okay with the baby. I've heard that women can…can lose their babies in the first few weeks. I just thought that it'd be tempting fate after all we've been through to m-mention it to anyone because-" she broke off with a sniff.

"Are you crying?" Toph asked, confused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty!"

"No, I'm just a little emotional right now," Katara said with a shaky laugh, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "And I have to go to the bathroom like every three seconds."

"Pregnancy not all it cracked up to be?" Toph guessed.

"I can't get used to the idea that there's a little person growing inside of me," Katara admitted, placing a protective hand over her stomach. "I'm just so worried that something will happen and I won't be able to anything to help."

"Have you seen a healer yet?"

"No. I wanted to wait until everyone knew so that they wouldn't find out via the healer."

"Makes sense," Toph shrugged. "So, when are you going to tell everyone?"

"I was thinking the day the baby's born," Katara answered with a shrug.

"Right," Toph said sarcastically. "Well I'm sure that's a foolproof plan."

"It is," Katara agreed. "I just need to wear a tent for the next few months and they'll never know."

Toph laughed before taking Katara's hand. "Come on, we should be getting back. They'll be wondering where we are."

They began walking together contentedly before Katara got an idea and perked up.

"Can you tell if the baby is a boy or a girl?" she asked excitedly.

"I'm an Earthbender, not psychic," Toph replied scathingly. "I can however tell you that the baby has flippers instead of hands."

"What?" Katara screeched as Toph laughed loudly. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry." There was a slight pause. "Do you know how your baby got bright purple?"

"I swear to the Gods-"

"Right," Toph cut her off. "Sorry." Another pause. "It won't be a problem that your baby has four arms, will it?"

"Toph!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter's a little shorter than usual, sorry about that. I'll show everyone else's reaction to the pregnancy next chapter. I want to get their reactions just right so I didn't just tack it on to the end of this chapter.**

**Hope you all enjoyed, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate your song suggestions and questions. Speaking of songs, the song for this chapter is mainly about Zuko's feelings about killing someone. It may not be shown much, but he has difficulty adjusting to the idea of fatherhood when he's a killer and wants someone (I.e - Katara) to tell him it's all okay. She does and the problem is solved :P Well, maybe not so easily as that, but she makes him feel better. I'd say 'Away From Me' is my favourite Evanescence song, so give it a listen if you can. **

**The pregnancy things (how many weeks, heartbeats, beginning to show etc.) were taken from the BBC website. What the hell they're doing there I don't know, but it came up on Google so I clicked it XD If anything's inaccurate then I suggest an angry letter of complaint to the BBC. Or you can just blame me, whatever's easier.**

**Anyway, I should be getting to Sixth Form. **_**Othello**_** beckons and who am I to ignore works of Shakespeare? Even if Othello is irritatingly naïve and Iago is more manipulative than Azula. They'd make a good couple. That's right folks, I now ship Iago/Azula. Or Azugo, as I prefer to call it. Seriously, join my ship and we can't fail. **

**Hope you all had a great week (:**

**- Momo**


	31. Destroyed

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_I did my best to please you, but my best was never good enough. Somehow you're only able to see all I am not. I have failed you, but believe me, you failed me too. I close my eyes as I walk the thin line between love and hate for the person with the same blood in his veins. It's so easy to destroy and condemn the ones you do not understand. Do you ever wonder if it's justified? _

- Destroyed _by _Within Temptation

* * *

"So Toph knows now?" Zuko asked conversationally, putting a piece of penguin meat gingerly into his mouth before pulling a face. "How can you eat this?"

"Easily," Katara shrugged, popping a small piece of the meat into her mouth. "I liked it even before Baby decided it was essential to have it. And yeah, Toph knows. I didn't tell her," she added quickly as Zuko opened his mouth irritably. "She could hear Baby's heartbeat."

"The baby-"

"Baby," Katara corrected.

"We're not calling our child 'Baby'," Zuko scowled.

"Of course not," Katara agreed. "But giving the baby a name, even if it is one as obvious as Baby, just…I don't know, makes it more real somehow."

"Because the morning sickness and cravings don't do that already?" Zuko asked with a grin.

"If I killed you right now, no one would blame me," Katara warned.

"I would argue but you're probably right," Zuko sighed. "Anyway, Toph heard the - Toph heard Baby's heartbeat?"

Katara nodded. "I can't decide whether I find that impressive or worrying."

"Can she tell if Baby is a girl or a boy?" Zuko asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement and hope.

"She isn't psychic," Katara scoffed. She paused before laughing softly. "At least, that's what Toph told me when I asked her the same question."

"Then we're both stupid," Zuko smiled. "Glad it isn't just me."

They were in the gardens, leaning against their favorite tree that overlooked the pond. The turtle ducks were quacking and splashing happily, the baby chicks still furry and cute but rapidly losing their baby fluff. It was well into fall now and the leaves were slowly being coaxed from the trees. One fell occasionally, only to light fire almost immediately as Zuko shot a small burst of fire at them.

"Oh, very nice," Katara commented sarcastically.

"Target practice," Zuko answered with a shrug, watching as the leaf quivered into ash before sprinkling onto the ground. He felt rather than saw Katara give him a reproachful look. "Do you want me to practice on the turtle ducks?"

Katara responded by smacking him idly on his arm.

"Right then, leaves it is," Zuko answered, promptly setting another lead alight. It swayed in the light breeze before trembling into nothingness.

"It's kind of pretty," Katara admitted, hypnotized by the flames as another leaf burned.

"Fire Lord Zuko, I'd appreciate it if you didn't light the foliage on fire," Iroh said mildly as he approached from seemingly nowhere, carrying a large wooden basket.

"Sorry Uncle," Zuko replied sheepishly, extinguishing the latest flaming leaf quickly.

"Where did you come from?" Katara asked, glancing either side of herself.

"Everywhere and nowhere at once," Iroh said mysteriously before chuckling. "I was at the markets. I bought you something."

"You went to the market alone?" Zuko asked sharply, ignoring the last sentence. "How could you?"

"Let's see what he's got us before we go yelling at him," Katara mock-whispered to her husband, smiling.

The smile was wiped from her face when Iroh reached into the basket and pulled out a small scarlet shirt, followed by black pants and the tiniest shoes Katara had ever seen. Iroh stood there, grinning happily at his nephew and niece-in-law who, needless to say, were speechless.

"They…they're the wrong size," Zuko stammered finally. "No one we know would fit into those."

"Zuko, I think he _might _know," Katara said scathingly under her breath. "I'll kill Toph."

"Toph didn't tell me," Iroh chuckled. "Although I can tell she's ready to explode if she doesn't tell someone soon."

"It's only been a day since I told her," Katara muttered. "Loudmouth Earthbender. How did you find out?"

"So it's true?" Iroh asked, delighted. "I had a very strong suspicion but I wasn't actually sure…this is wonderful news!"

Katara stood up, with some assistance from Zuko, and hugged the old man who seemed about ready to burst with excitement.

"Congratulations," Iroh smiled, clapping a hand on Zuko's back and hugging him.

"Thanks," Zuko answered, slightly uncomfortable. "But no one else knows, so whatever discreetness you have will be appreciated."

Iroh's face fell comically. "I can be discreet!" he protested.

"Sure you can," Zuko answered flatly.

"I can!"

"Right," Zuko agreed condescendingly before turning to Katara. "We need to tell your family as soon as we can if we want them to find out from us."

"I won't tell them," Iroh promised. "My honor on it."

"Okay," Zuko said with a nod. "How did you know anyway?"

"Ah," Iroh answered, tapping his temple knowingly. "Uncle wisdom."

"Such a thing exists?" Zuko asked tersely.

"Who's the pregnant one here?" Iroh asked, amused. "Katara seems in better spirits than you."

"I probably am," Katara teased, squeezing Zuko's hand quickly.

"I just don't want everyone to know yet," Zuko muttered. "The sooner Katara's family know, the sooner you'll start looking for a new Fire Lord."

"Don't be foolish Zuko," Iroh admonished. "I will be the Fire Lord in the event of your death, there's nothing to worry about there."

Zuko's stony expression didn't even flicker as his wife and uncle laughed.

"We can tell them whenever you want," Katara said soothingly, trying to appease the sulking Firebender.

"They'll figure it out soon though," Iroh warned, glancing at Katara. "I did. Little things like absentmindedly touching your stomach or a stubborn refusal to go anywhere near certain foods that you had no problems with a few months ago."

"Am I really that obvious or do you just pay strict attention?"

"A little of both," Iroh shrugged. "I think Kana may be getting suspicious already."

"Sensational," Zuko muttered sarcastically.

"Quiet," Katara ordered him. "We'll tell them tonight."

"What?" Zuko asked sharply.

"Don't take that tone with me!" Katara answered, affronted.

"Don't act like my mother!" Zuko shot back.

"I'm just going to…" Iroh said awkwardly, gesturing behind him before slowly walking away.

"I have to act like _a_ mother otherwise our child will end up like Azula!" Katara shouted.

And instantly regretted it.

"I didn't mean-"

"It's okay," Zuko said softly, not meeting her eyes.

"No, it isn't, that came out the complete wrong way and I…" Katara's words were stumbling over each other in their rush to get out. "I just wanted an example of someone who I didn't want our child to end up anything like. Not that I don't want Baby to have a brother like you! I didn't mean anything by association!"

Zuko's anger was slowly turning to amusement as he watched Katara's sapphire eyes go wide every time she said the wrong thing.

"It's okay," he repeated, meaning it this time. "I know what you meant." He turned to face her and enveloped her hands with his, wanting nothing more than to soothe her agitated expression, be the one to make her eyes light up when she laughed. "I had to grow up with a mother and father who didn't love each other. Then I had to grow up without a mother. When I say that I want our baby to have everything, I don't mean material possessions. I want our child to grow up somewhere happy and safe, where the thought of war isn't even an issue. I want all those things for the baby, but most of all I want you to be there with me to watch him or her grow up."

"I'm not going anywhere," Katara whispered, kissing him softly. "I want everything you just said."

Zuko smiled. For the first time since the news of Katara's pregnancy, he was excited, _hopeful_. Just because his father had been a monster didn't mean that he would be exactly the same. This baby's childhood would be nothing like his.

"So, we're telling your family tonight?" he asked, still smiling.

Katara threw her arms around Zuko's neck tightly as he gave his approval for her family's knowledge of Baby's existence.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

* * *

It was ironic that, a few minutes before dinner, it was Katara who was changing her mind about telling her family.

"What if they're disappointed?" she fretted, fixing her hair for the tenth time that night. "What if they disown me? What if they make me choose between you or them again?"

"They won't," Zuko assured. "They won't feel any of those things. The only negative feelings in the room will be directed towards me."

"Promise?" Katara asked uncertainly.

"Promise," Zuko answered, his lips twitching although there really was nothing funny about the situation. "Now come on, destiny calls."

"I hate when it does that," Katara muttered, but allowed herself to be led to the dining hall by Zuko.

They were the first ones there, which gave an anxious Katara more time to fret and Zuko more time in which to wish the night would go smoothly. After a few minutes they were joined by Iroh and then by Toph and Katara's family.

"Good evening," Zuko greeted Sokka, Hakoda and Gran Gran, the first two of whom eyed him suspiciously.

_Okay, trying to start the night of on a good note failed, _Zuko noted nervously. _That's not a particularly great sign._

That said, none of the signs that evening were particularly great. Toph soon figured out that tonight would be the revelation night and starting dropping subtle pregnancy hints into the conversation. Iroh quickly picked up on this game and the two spent the duration of dinner receiving death glares from Zuko and Katara.

"You haven't eaten any of your smoked fish," Sokka informed Katara, whose plate was nowhere near as clean as everyone else's by the end of dinner.

"Want it?" she asked in return, lifting her plate slightly.

Sokka's eyes widened with emotion as though he had just been offered precious jewels.

"But you love smoked fish!" he frowned confusedly, although his hand was already reaching for the plate.

"Maybe she's just _craving_ something else?" Toph suggested with a shrug, earning a hard look from Zuko.

"Or maybe I'm just not hungry," Katara corrected with a scowl which, like Zuko's pointed look, was useless considering Toph's lack of vision.

"Either way Sokka, you've had enough," Gran Gran said, signaling a servant over with a polite smile.

"No!" Sokka protested.

"Yes," Hakoda answered, agreeing with his mother for a change. "One of these days you'll turn into a piece of food yourself."

Sokka didn't seem too bothered by this until Toph informed him that he wouldn't be able to eat himself.

"We have an…an announcement to make," Katara stammered after the last plates were cleared away. All eyes turned to her and she felt herself losing the nerve. "Me and Zuko that is."

"You're splitting up?" Sokka asked, sounding unsurprised and even a little hopeful.

"No," Zuko answered with a frown before Katara could say anything.

"Oh," Sokka said with a shrug. "Ah well."

Katara took a deep breath, her heartbeat racing and her hands shaking.

"I'm pregnant."

There was a long silence.

A _very _long silence.

Katara began to wonder if she should repeat her statement in case her family hadn't heard it. But no…the shared look on her father and brother's faces told her that they had heard.

"_What?_" Hakoda breathed dangerously after an eternity. His murderous eyes set on Zuko.

"Immaculate conception, I promise," Zuko said quickly, earning a kick from Katara underneath the table. "It was a joke," he told her quietly.

"You think impregnating my daughter is a joke?" Hakoda snarled, standing up swiftly and almost sending the table flying.

"No!" Zuko replied, his eyes wide. "No, I wasn't talking about that!"

"Dad," Katara said wearily, rubbing her forehead gently. "Don't blame Zuko."

"You're too young," Hakoda stormed. "Both of you!"

"They were young enough to get married," Gran Gran pointed out gently.

Katara's eyes flew to Gran Gran's, daring to be hopeful. Gran Gran smiled, her aged eyes twinkling.

"Congratulations darling, you'll make a fantastic mother."

"Thank you," Katara whispered, her eyes tearing up.

She wanted to get up and hug her grandmother but first had to resolve the miniature war going on beside her.

"Mother, how can you encourage her?" Hakoda snapped, gesturing wildly.

"She's already pregnant Hakoda, I can't encourage her much more than that," Gran Gran frowned. "I'll help her be the best mother she can be, although you and I both know that it has always been her destiny to have children."

"Yes, at a much later stage in life maybe!" Hakoda growled. "She's too young!"

"I'll be too young until I'm too old," Katara argued. "The Fire Nation needs heirs and Zuko and I love each other, so I really don't see the problem!"

Making his first movement since Katara's revelation, Sokka smacked his hand down onto the table and stormed out of the room. The door slammed forcefully as he exited.

Katara watched him go sadly before standing up herself.

"Toph, Iroh, Gran Gran, make sure Dad doesn't kill Zuko," she instructed before quickly following Sokka.

The hallways outside were dark and didn't give any clues as to where Sokka may have run off to. But Katara had an idea…one that she hoped was false. Treading the way to the throne room, thoughts and excuses ran through her mind. What was she supposed to say to her older brother, who she loved so much, that could possibly excuse deceiving him?

"Sokka?" she whispered as she opened the throne room doors. A chink of light from a torch bracket illuminated the otherwise black room. Even the moon had hidden away that night. "Can we talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about," came Sokka's voice coldly from somewhere inside the darkness.

"I'd say that I'm sorry, but I'm not," Katara told the shadows. "About Zuko or about the pregnancy. But I do regret not telling you earlier. I just didn't want you to hate me or react the way you are doing. Which is pretty ironic really."

"Why are you making this all about you?" Sokka asked coldly.

"Because I don't know what's going through your mind," Katara admitted after a moment of uncertain silence. "It makes me sad. We're so close after everything we've been through together."

"I thought we were," Sokka answered bitterly. "I thought that I would do anything to protect you, to keep you safe. But I keep failing you."

"You think you've failed me?" Katara asked, confused.

"I just stood there and watched as they shipped you off to marry the one person you hated above everyone else. I should've said something to stop you but I just…didn't." Sokka's voice was so filled with self-loathing that it made Katara wince. "I guess it was only natural that you fell for someone when you had no one else to turn to. And now you're stuck with him forever."

_So that's what this is about, _Katara thought sadly. _He still can't get over that I love Zuko._

"This baby isn't unwanted," she said carefully. "It wasn't planned but Zuko and I are really happy. I don't want our child to grow up without Uncle Sokka."

"I don't want your child to grow up without Uncle Sokka either," Sokka admitted.

Something shifted in the darkness and Katara realized that Sokka was coming to her.

"Zuko's made a lot of mistakes, mainly involving us. But you saw him choose me over the Fire Nation out there with the Crusaders. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"I still find it difficult to understand," Sokka confessed. "And you don't know how much I blame myself."

The outline of his figure became visible and Katara leapt forward into the darkness to embrace her brother.

"Please don't," she whispered. "Please don't blame yourself. I'm so happy here, happier than I've ever been. I didn't think I'd even smile again after what happened to Aang but, and here's the irony again, being in the Fire Nation gave me another chance." She paused and laughed. "I'm aware of how much I'm sounding like I'm reading lines written by a bad writer, just so you know."

"Well as long as you're aware," Sokka answered with a catch in his voice as he laughed.

"I don't want you crying either," Katara told him, hugging him fiercely to her.

"If it counts, they're partly happy tears," Sokka offered, crushing Katara slightly as he lifted up his sleeve to wipe his face.

"Partly?" Katara answered skeptically.

"A really small part," Sokka admitted. "But still."

"I want you to be okay with this," Katara said, serious now. She stepped back from Sokka to look at him.

"I'll try," Sokka answered, smiling slightly. "I really will."

"But no promises?" Katara asked sadly, her eyes shining even in the gloom.

"I promise to try," Sokka told her solemnly. "It's the best I can do."

"Then that's all I ask," Katara smiled. "Want to go back to dinner?"

Sokka hesitated, throwing a glance back into the throne room behind him. "Do you mind if we stay here for a little while? I just want the original group back together for awhile."

He held out his hand and Katara took it, giving it a small squeeze. As though they were no more than five years old, the siblings walked hand-in-hand into the dark room, putting all their issues aside for a short time and falling away from reality.

* * *

**A/N:**

**In a bit of a rush, so this won't take long. Hope you all enjoyed what will probably be the penultimate chapter of Sanctuary. I'm not sure about it myself, but I blame the fact that I have The Plague. Well, slightly dramatic, but I'm ill.**

**Thanks to Kas for suggesting the chapter's song that reflects the prejudices that both sides still have about each other, even though they're united. **

**Sorry I couldn't reply to all of your reviews, but I appreciate all of them so much. You guys really cheered me up with your comments (:**

**Have a great week everyone!**

**- Momo**


	32. My Little Phoenix

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.

OTHER DISCLAIMER: All lyrics included in this fanfiction solely belong to the credited artist and, sadly, not myself.

* * *

_Here she comes, rose again from the flames, my little phoenix. Eternity is set in her eyes, throwing sparks back at the world that'll never die. You've got to get close to the flames to see what you're made of._

"_I sure got my feathers burned, but I'm stronger than the flames"_

- My Little Phoenix _by _Tarja Turunen

* * *

_It has long been said that there are some things that should not be combined. Powerful absolute opposites. Life and death. Love and hate. Moon and sun. Water and fire. Should their joining come to pass, it would throw the natural world and the spirit world out of balance. For it is their separation that keeps everything in check. So when two opposing forces fight to be together, it can either end in ruin or salvation._

* * *

_Time Skip_

* * *

"How's she doing?" Hakoda asked sympathetically, standing anxiously outside the room where his daughter was due to give birth two days ago.

"She's long overdue and her waters only broke three hours ago," Gran Gran replied, leaving Katara's side for a moment to refill the water jug. "So all in all, she's rather irritated."

"I can guess," Hakoda sighed, glancing quickly into the room before the door shut.

"You really, really can't," Gran Gran frowned. "And I suggest that you don't say that to Katara, she's distressed enough as it is."

"I heard crashing before," Hakoda said nervously.

"Yes," Gran Gran sighed. "That would be the water jug being thrown across the room. Katara is having slight difficulty concentrating on keeping her Waterbending under control as she is currently trying to push a small person out of her."

"And they say women can multi-task," Hakoda chuckled before his laugh was cut short by a sharp look from his mother. "Sorry. I joke when I'm anxious."

"Don't," Gran Gran advised. "Katara's having enough of that from Sokka and Zuko."

"When is it my turn to go in then?" Hakoda asked, impatient as a young boy.

"I don't want her to be too crowded," Gran Gran answered with a shrug. "She might get upset and explode us all."

Hakoda laughed slightly, only to be cut off again by his mother.

"We've got water in our bodies, haven't we?" she asked, her gray eyebrows raised. "Anyway, I'm sure you can go in in a minute or so. Zuko and Sokka are equally determined not to leave her side, so you might have to swap with Toph."

Hakoda nodded as his mother walked off. With a deep breath, he pushed open the already ajar door and stepped inside. Katara was determined that she wouldn't give birth in the bedroom that she and Zuko shared so the room next door was chosen instead, after much deliberation. Hakoda thought that this room would make a perfect bedroom for the child, but didn't voice his opinions. It wasn't fit for a child at this moment anyway; water had saturated parts of the carpet where Katara had accidentally made the water jugs tip over.

"Hey Dad." Katara smiled weakly as soon as she spotted him. She already looked tired and pieces of her mahogany hair stuck to her face, glued there by sweat. Despite this, Hakoda felt an overwhelming sense of pride for his daughter. As he perched on the side of her bed and brushed the strands of hair from her face, his mind drifted away…

"_You'll have to accept this baby eventually," Iroh said softly as he and Hakoda watched their two intertwined families playing in the garden. The breeze around them was no more than a whisper and the fading sunlight was still fighting valiantly to shine._

_Hakoda remained silent. Saying anything like 'No, I won't', would sound pathetic and childish. Instead, he watched Zuko and Katara sitting on the opposite side of the pond, smiling and laughing, away in their own private world. It hurt Hakoda that he couldn't deny the pair were in love. As Zuko tentatively placed his hand over Katara's ever-expanding bump, Hakoda looked away. Would they let him be a proper grandfather? Did he even want to be?_

"_I remember the day that Zuko was born," Iroh continued, evidently realizing that he wasn't about to get an answer from Hakoda. "His mother, Ursa, was so worried about him. He was a weak baby, his cries so plaintive. Ozai's initial joy at having a male heir soon faded and after three days he stopped visiting the newborn altogether. He was so sure that his son would just give up and die that he cancelled the celebration feasts."_

_Hakoda glanced at Iroh curiously, but the older man was lost in the past, his eyes misted over._

"_But Ursa wouldn't allow her baby to die, even if her husband had lost faith. She watched over Zuko day and night for weeks until he eventually became stronger. By that time, Ozai had lost all interest in the baby, even resented him for making him look the fool for believing he would die. It was up to Ursa to give Zuko affection and even after Azula was born, he remained her favorite. When she disappeared, it hit Zuko very hard."_

_Reverting back to the present, Iroh turned to Hakoda._

"_Family is everything to my nephew, as I know it is for Katara. They both had to grow up with either physically or emotionally distant parents by force. You have the chance to be there for your grandchild like you never had the chance to be there for your own children. Why are you throwing that away?"_

_Again, Hakoda couldn't answer. His eyes drifted over to Zuko and Katara, the latter of whom had laced her finger through Zuko's so that both their hands rested on top of their unborn child. Zuko whispered something that made Katara smile and kiss him lightly on the cheek._

"_They're happy," Hakoda said. It wasn't a question, more a resigned statement._

"_Yes," Iroh replied simply. "They've fought so hard to become so."_

"_That's all I've ever wanted for her," Hakoda said suddenly. "Sokka too."_

"_She can be happy without you, she's already proved that, but why should that mean that you stay away?" Iroh asked. "Everyone needs their family."_

"_I want to be there for her, I really do I just…"_

"_Can't forgive her?" Iroh suggested._

"_Exactly," Hakoda sighed. "And I don't even know why I feel like that anymore."_

"_Just try to remember that she hasn't done anything wrong, that she didn't betray you by falling for Zuko. She never meant to hurt you."_

It had been two hours after Iroh had talked to him that day that Hakoda decided to tell Katara he was there for her and her baby. Her reaction had been to smile broadly and hug him. That had been months ago and Hakoda found himself truly at peace with the idea of becoming a grandfather.

"How long was mom in labor for with me?" Katara asked suddenly.

"Too long," Hakoda joked. "But we got something beautiful out of it. Just like you will."

"Promise you'll be around to see the baby grow up?" Katara asked, her wide azure eyes imploring.

"I promise," Hakoda nodded.

"I love you so much," Katara whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

"I love you too honey," Hakoda answered, his own emotion threatening to spill over. "Now let's get you some more water."

* * *

After four more hours, the magic of childbirth was beginning to wear thin and everyone - save for Katara - was starting to get bored. As for Katara, her contractions were slowly getting closer and closer together and she found herself wishing for this ordeal to be over.

"Can you not just go in there and get it out?" she asked the midwife desperately. "I'm sure it won't mind!"

"Don't call our baby 'it'," Zuko joked, repeating Katara's words from months ago.

Katara shot him an intense glare. "Shut up, this is all your fault!" she snarled, gesturing down at her enormous stomach. "I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!"

"Well, that's a little harsh-" Zuko began with a frown before being cut off by a smack to the head. "Ouch!"

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Toph hissed. "Don't argue with Pregnant Katara!"

"Even I know that," Sokka said with a roll of his eyes.

"Can I have some alone time with Zuko?" Katara asked, all anger seemingly gone for the moment. She winced and breathed sharply as another pain shot across her abdomen.

Everyone left, some glancing at Zuko with pity, assuming that Katara would shortly be venting her wrath upon him.

"What's up?" Zuko asked gently, crouching beside Katara's bedside and holding her hand. "I mean, aside from the obvious."

Katara smiled slightly. "I just wanted to say that I love you. And I'm glad that we're having this baby, even though he or she seems intent on ripping apart my insides."

"Try not to take it personally," Zuko said with a grin. "And I love you too. Very much." He watched his wife with tenderness, stroking her forehead lightly. "You've never looked more beautiful."

"Liar," Katara said with a shaky laugh that quickly turned into a gasp of pain. "Can you go and bring the midwife back in? I'm pretty sure Baby's on his or her way."

Panic flashing through him, Zuko wrenched his hand away from Katara's and scrambled to his feet. The few feet to the door suddenly seemed like a thousand miles. His baby was on the way! Was he ready to be a father? Would he screw up the child's life? All the questions that he thought he had put to rest suddenly flared to life as his trembling hand found the door handle, turned it and flung the door open.

"Baby's coming," he said simply, not able to convey the urgency needed for the situation.

"Yes, we know that," Toph answered with a roll of her eyes. "We're not here for the good of our health."

Zuko looked at them all for a moment. "Right now," he added.

There was a small stampede to get to Katara and Zuko almost lost his balance as people shoved past him.

"Father of the child here," he muttered before closing the door and practically running to Katara's side.

"The baby's on its way," the midwife confirmed to those surrounding the bed. "If you'd all step back please."

"We'll wait outside," Toph said, taking Sokka by his sleeve and dragging him away. "I don't think Snoozles' delicate stomach will be able to handle this."

"Thanks," Katara muttered in between painful gasps.

"No problem," Toph grinned cheerfully. "I would say 'have fun' but it's kind of the wrong sentiment."

"How about 'good luck'?" Sokka wondered.

"Why would she need luck? I don't think she needs luck for this."

"I hope…that one day…you have plenty of…children," Katara snarled to Toph, breathing heavily.

"We'll just leave," Iroh said, quickly exiting and followed Toph, Sokka and Hakoda.

"Zuko? Gran Gran?" Katara called, checking.

"We're here, honey," Gran Gran whispered soothingly. "Just keep breathing." She glanced to the other side of the bed. "Zuko, take her hand."

Zuko obliged but soon winced. "Ouch!"

"What?" Katara puffed as the midwife urged her to push.

"You're squeezing my hand pretty tightly," Zuko explained feebly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you in _pain_?!" Katara screamed, gripping the bed tightly with her free hand.

"You're such an idiot," Gran Gran muttered to Zuko, her low voice barely decipherable over Katara.

"I really can't help it," Zuko shrugged. To Katara, "That's it, you're doing great!"

It's odd how slow time seems to pass when you're in absolute agony, but eventually a small, shrill cry pierced the room. Even through the haze of pain, Katara recognized it as the cry of her baby. She managed a weak smile and tried to sit up but exhaustion overcame her and all she could do was slump back on the pillows.

"Congratulations," the midwife said as she wiped down something small and impossibly fragile and wrapped a blanket around the bundle. "You have a beautiful baby girl."

"A girl?" Katara repeated, a brilliant smile lighting up her tired face.

"A girl," Zuko confirmed with an equal smile, clutching Katara's hand tightly.

"Would you like to hold her?" the midwife asked.

Katara could only nod as tears constricted her throat. Zuko let go of her hand and she held out her arms. They were barely weighted down as the wailing baby girl was placed into them. Katara stared down into the perfect face, the face of her daughter. Mesmerized, she barely noticed as Zuko sat down on the edge of the bed and put his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her head before looking down on his baby. Slowly, the newborn's crying subsided and her eyes stared up at her first proper look at the world. Her cerulean eyes seemed to shine like sapphires.

"She's perfect," Zuko breathed, moving his free hand to stroke the baby's minute tufts of raven hair. "Look what we made."

Enchanted, the new parents watched their daughter as the minutes passed, unaware that Gran Gran and the midwife had left as soon as Katara held the newborn, wishing to give the family some peace. A fierce protectiveness ran through Katara's veins and she knew that Zuko felt the same. Each would die before letting any harm come to this baby.

"I'm so proud of you," Zuko murmured after a while to Katara.

"Who would've thought this would have happened when I first came here?" Katara asked with a quiet laugh.

"I did," Zuko answered. At Katara's skeptic look he smiled. "Well, alright, maybe not when you first came. When you first came, you annoyed the hell out of me. But soon I knew that I wanted you to be the mother of my children and that I would spend the rest of my life with you."

"Lucky guess," Katara dismissed, but she laughed again to show her jest. She leaned up to kiss Zuko, trying not to jostle the baby who had drifted off to sleep, apparently bored by her parents' adoration of her.

A knock on the door interrupted the couple. Zuko disentangled himself from Katara's shoulders and walked across the room. He opened the door to almost a dozen faces peering in excitedly.

"We have a girl," Zuko grinned after a moment of keeping those waiting in suspense.

Toph whooped loudly, before remembering the baby inside and settling for punching the air instead. Iroh embraced Zuko and Hakoda and Sokka embraced each other, as did Toph and Gran Gran.

"I want hugs too!" Katara called from inside the room, pouting slightly. She cradled her baby to her chest as the space around her bed filled up with her smiling family. They congratulated Katara and cooed at the newest addition. Sokka swore that the newborn's eyes were the exact same color as his and that his new niece would grow up as a female version of himself. This got Katara so worked up that everyone left the room to give her time to calm down.

"Way to go," Toph hissed sarcastically to the young Water Tribe warrior as they all left the room.

"How was I supposed to know she wouldn't take it so well?" Sokka asked with a shrug, letting the situation wash over him unconcernedly.

"You told her that her baby would turn out exactly like you, how could she _not_ take it badly?" Toph asked, punching Sokka lightly on his arm.

The group stood outside the door for a few minutes, each feeling drained as though they had gone through childbirth. Feeling his eyelids begin to droop, Zuko cleared his throat and stood up off the wall he was leaning against.

"Think she's had time to deal?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"There's nothing to deal with!" Sokka protested. No one listened.

"Yeah," Toph nodded. "I want to see SteamBaby again."

Everyone stared at her, not that she could see it.

"I'll ask," Hakoda sighed to the others, before turning to Toph. "SteamBaby?"

"What do you get when you mix fire and water?" Toph asked resignedly. "Seriously guys, do you even think these nicknames through? They're not just a spur of the moment thing, I work really hard on them!"

"Right," Sokka said, deadpanned. "It all makes perfect sense now."

He pushed open the door. "Hey Kata-"

But his little sister was asleep, her newborn nuzzled safely in her arms. He smiled and gently shut the door behind him, gesturing to the others that Katara was asleep. They all smiled fondly and left without another word. Only Zuko stayed behind, slipping into the room to watch over his little family. He sat down in the soft chair next to Katara's bed and watched his daughter, the way her little chest rose and fell ever so slightly and how she looked so familiar even though he had only known her for less than an hour.

Before he knew it, his own eyes had drifted shut and he fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

* * *

"What do you think her name should be?" Katara asked as she and Zuko leant over the baby's crib. Even after three days, they couldn't tear their eyes from her.

"Actually, I have a couple of ideas," Zuko admitted.

Katara stood up straight and looked at her husband with a smile.

"Really?" she asked, curious. "What?"

"I was thinking…maybe…Mizuki. In honor of her mommy."

Katara considered the name for a moment before smiling widely and nodding. "I think it's perfect." She looked down at the sleeping child. "Hi Mizuki."

"I think she looks like you," Zuko commented.

"Her skin is like porcelain and her hair's the same color as yours," Katara answered with a slight laugh. "The only indication that I'm her mother is her eyes."

"And what beautiful eyes they are." Zuko kissed his wife lightly before taking her hand and holding it as they both watched over their newly-named baby.

* * *

The year and a half that followed Mizuki's birth was something that Zuko and Katara never could have prepared for. Although Mizuki was a strong baby who slept through most nights, the young parents still found it difficult to adjust. Many times they found themselves arguing over the most pointless of things but a swift reconciliation always followed. Well, the reconciliation may not always have been swift, both too stubborn to admit they were wrong, but it always occurred.

Hakoda, Sokka and Gran Gran had left as soon as Gran Gran could be certain that Katara could manage a baby by herself (refusing to acknowledge Zuko, Iroh or all the servants in the palace). Toph stayed with them for a further week before going back to the Earth Kingdom. Katara found that she didn't miss her family nearly as much as she thought she would've; Mizuki took up most of her time these days. Sometimes she would arrange play dates with Aika and baby Kuzon, which Zuko would almost always disapprove of.

"She's six months old and you're already trying to marry her off!" he had accused Katara on one occasion.

Katara had responded with a torrent of water hurled in her husband's direction.

Mizuki always enjoyed her parents displaying their bending techniques and, when she was one year old, would throw her arms about clumsily in an attempt to copy. It wasn't until one beautifully sunny day in the gardens that she successfully managed to imitate, half a year after her first attempt.

"Honey, stop that, you'll frighten the turtle ducks," Katara scolded her daughter absently as the toddler sat near the pond, waving her arms about frantically.

But Mizuki, equally determined as her parents, glared into the glassy water and moved her hands, her small mind conjuring up the image of her mother controlling liquid. There was a tiny ripple in the pond.

"Mommy!" Mizuki called, her azure eyes lighting up. "Mommy!"

Katara smiled at the memory of Mizuki saying her first word. The fuss that had been made that day hadn't been seen since the end of the war.

"Mommy!"

"Just a minute Mizuki, Mommy's trying to think of a way to get back at Daddy for beating her in a sparring match!" Katara called from her spot under her and Zuko's tree. Her plans so far included ambushes and teaching Mizuki to say something offensive to Zuko. Neither plan held much merit.

"Mommy!" Mizuki repeated insistently. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"

"Alright," Katara muttered, heaving herself up. "You've certainly got Sokka's mouth." She ambled over to the small girl and knelt beside her. "Are you showing Mommy the turtle ducks again?"

Mizuki shook her head solemnly, her shoulder length raven hair swishing after her. She moved her hands again erratically and pointed her chubby fingers towards the perfectly smooth pond.

"What am I looking at?" Katara asked, confused.

Mizuki, frowning now, slapped the air that hung over the pond. When nothing happened, she tried again and again but to no avail. Her lower lip jutted out and began to tremble.

"I know that look," Katara said. "Someone needs a nap."

"No!" Mizuki cried. "Mommy, water!"

She sliced her hand through the air again, frustration growing. There was another small ripple in the pond. She grinned and turned to Katara, expecting praise.

But Katara was rooted to the spot, her eyes wide.

"Mizuki, copy Mommy and try to make the water move," she instructed faintly, moving her hand in a simple sideways movement.

Mizuki turned her gaze back to the water and copied her mother's movement, although nowhere near as gracefully. Again, the water rippled.

Katara ran through all the possibilities in her mind before she became excited. _Was it a windy day?_ No, there was no wind at all. _Did the turtle ducks disturb the water? _No, the turtle ducks were happily resting at the other side of the lake.

"You're a Waterbender," she breathed to her daughter. "You're a Waterbender!"

Grinning like mad, she picked up Mizuki and whirled her around, overjoyed. Mizuki giggled, her crimson dress and white petticoat fluttering outwards.

"Well done!" Katara squealed. "Mommy's so proud of you!"

Settling Mizuki on her hip, Katara began to walk as quickly as she could to the corridor adjacent to the gardens. She waited impatiently until a servant walked past.

"Get the Fire Lord as quickly as you can, please!" she half-shouted at the startled young woman. "Tell him to come to the gardens and that it's urgent!"

Murmuring words of encouragement to Mizuki the whole time, Katara bounced back to her previous sitting place and set her daughter down on the grass. Wearing a brilliant smile, she paced up and down, waiting for Zuko to arrive. When he did, she flung herself into his arms.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked immediately, hugging Katara firmly to him. "Is Mizuki? The servant said it was urgent and I was worried."

"Everything's _perfect_," Katara gushed, stepping out of the embrace. She turned to Mizuki, who was playing innocently with grass. "Show Daddy what you just showed Mommy."

Mizuki wobbled uncertainly on her fast little legs before plunking herself down in front of the pond and staring intently at it. She waved her arms more or less in the way Katara showed her.

"Watch closely," Katara whispered to Zuko, gripping his hand.

"What am I-?"

"Just watch."

Mizuki continued swaying her arms about and after a moment, the section of pond in front of her shivered slightly.

"Is she…?" Zuko whispered, his eyes shining with pride and confusion.

"Yeah," Katara confirmed excitedly. "She's a Waterbender."

Zuko scooped up his little girl and hugged her to his chest. She squealed at all the attention and praise, particularly as her mother joined in the embrace. She placed Mizuki back onto her hip so the toddler was in between her parents. All three of them faced the pond, until Mizuki began to squirm for freedom. She was carefully placed onto the ground and ran off, eager to experience more.

"To be honest, I thought you'd be a little disappointed," Katara admitted to Zuko as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Why?"

"Well, don't you want another Firebender in the family?" she asked, confused.

"Of course I do," Zuko nodded, turning his head towards his wife, a smile on his lips. "I'm just assuming our next baby will be one."

Katara glanced at him, her own smile forming. "You want another baby?"

"Yeah," Zuko replied, his golden eyes twinkling. "A boy. We need to balance out this family."

"Balance seems to be a theme of our lives," Katara teased.

"Where would we be without it?" Zuko asked with a small laugh.

Katara looked at him, considering the opposites that had somehow managed to work through balance.

_Life, death._

_Love, hate._

_Moon, sun._

_Water, fire._

"Very unhappy," she answered, before kissing him.

* * *

**A/N:**

**And there, my friends, we have a finale.**

**Mizuki means 'beautiful moon' in Japanese for those who wondered.**

**I just want to let you all know how grateful I am for your reviews, favorites and alerts, they mean so much to me. If you've been with Sanctuary from the start, came in halfway or started after this last update, then thank you for sticking with me this far. I really hope that you've enjoyed this fanfic as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Avatar may not be on air anymore but we'll always have the power of fanfiction! -goofy grin-.**

**I'm thinking of writing a Harry Potter fic next, so maybe I'll see some of you there.**

**Once again, thanks so much for reading and if you'd like to review one last time, I'd be very appreciative (:**

**- Momo**


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